Veils of Deceit
by Raiyaka
Summary: Webs of Deception SEQUEL - Nine years have passed since they left Konoha, and Sasuke has learned to endure life without Naruto and raise their three year old son alone. But now, old enemies have resurfaced, resurrecting old pains that should have been left undisturbed. SasuNaru Yaoi
1. Nine Years

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its' characters. (Though the OCs are mine!)**

**ATTENTION – READ FIRST – ATTENTION**

This is the +**sequel**+ to _'Webs of Deception'_. So for those of you who haven't read that one yet, you might want to. I don't think this one can be read by itself. There's information that's in the first story that you _might_ need in this one for it to make sense. Of course though, you don't have to, it's just a recommendation.

**WARNINGS**: SasuNaru – Yaoi – Male/Male relationship. Mention of Mpreg. Violence. _Possible_ graphic sexual situations. _(Warnings may change as story continues.)_

**SUMMARY**: Nine years have passed, and Sasuke has learned to endure life without Naruto and raise their three year old son alone. But now, old enemies have resurfaced, resurrecting old pains that should have been left undisturbed.

Veils of Deceit

Chapter One

**Nine Years**

_Coldness prickled along Sasuke's skin. It traveled deep, deeper than the surface and sank all the way to the bone. The all surrounding darkness was all too familiar to him now. This was how it always started. _

_He didn't move, he didn't have to. It wouldn't make any difference. It wouldn't change what happened. He sank to the floor, bringing his knees to his chest, and buried his face in them. He couldn't stand much more of this. It was tearing him down, tearing him apart. There was hardly any fight left in him._

_The scenery changed, he could tell by the warmth that filled the air, that tried to warm him. He rejected it, wanting nothing to do with it. It wasn't real. The warmth would only fade, leaving him with nothing but a hollow emptiness. He foolishly allowed it once, and regretted it the moment he woke up all alone – all by himself in an empty bed. He had his limit. . . and this charade was driving him to his breaking point. _

_He could feel him now, yet he still refused to lift his head no matter how desperate he was to get another glimpse. Just one more. . . It would cause so much pain though, so much that he was actually afraid to face his own mind. And that was the most ridiculous part – how could he inflict such things on himself?_

"_Sasuke. . ." came the voice he ached to hear every second of the day. To hear it and see the bright smile that would accompanied it. The image was enough to give in to the almost all-consuming urge to open his eyes and inflict himself with the torture that stood a yard in front of him. He stared between the space of his hands, taking in – like all the other times he gave in – every detail he could never forget. That golden hair he's run his hands through more times than not, whisker scars he licked and kissed, and those unique sapphires that could pierce his soul. _

_He actually cringed when he stared straight into those eyes. So much light. . . so alive. He could hardly take it. Because he knew, there was a much more crueler fate that awaited him once reality decided to intervene. . ._

_The fantasy ends. . . and he'd be alone again._

_Staring was all Sasuke could manage as a small hint of annoyance crossed the blond's face. "Sasuke." he voiced again. When no reply came, his head fell back and he let out a sigh of exasperation. "God dammit, Sasuke. Can't you see that I'm trying to help you?"_

_Sasuke scoffed and muttered, "Trying to help me?" Those words he couldn't believe. They ignited an anger in him, one that flared and blazed, because this was by far the last thing that would help him. He glared, showing his disagreement and Naruto turned away, running his hands roughly threw his hair. _

_Naruto faced him again, frustration overtaking his features. "Why can't you just believe that it's me! I've been trying to prov – "_

"_Shut up." he sneered, quieting the blond with not the volume of his voice but the pure venom that was placed in it. There was no way that he could believe that this. . . image was his dobe. That he was anything other than a figment of his own hopeful imagination. He didn't want to hear anything else. Not the arguments, not the apologies, and especially not the proof that the blond seemed to believe he had to convince him otherwise. And that's what he feared the most, that he was telling the truth and the man standing in front of him was actually his dobe. That there was unmistakable proof that he wouldn't be able to deny. _

_How would he cope when he knew the day would come when it all would be taken away from him again?_

_Sasuke removed his hands from his face and placed them on his knees, glaring unhindered into those lovely orbs. "You want to help me?" he continued to sneer. "Leave me the fuck alone. That will help me." Because if this continued, there was nothing that would stop him from plummeting over the edge. _

_He watched as the frustration was completely wiped clean and was replaced with sorrow and a underlining of hurt. The hurt was what struck agonizingly through his chest, and he had to forcibly shove his instincts down to remain in place instead of getting up and immediately go to him. Maybe that should have clued him in a little, but he ignored the logical part of his brain that researched about the Uchiha's genetic behavioral trait and chose to fiercely hold onto the idea that all of this was in his head. _

"_I can't." came the low reply. "I know this is hurting you, Sasuke. God, I wish I didn't have to resort to such extremes, but. . . how else are you going to search for the truth?"_

"_I'm not." he said curtly._

"_You need to. You need to be ready for what's coming, Sasuke. And the only way you're going to be ready is if you find the truth and stop hiding from it." _

_A moment of silence passed before he spoke, "They say ignorance is bliss." _

_He hated to see that look of disappointment that was now prominent on the blond's face. "I remember you saying that you never wanted to be in the dark again."_

_Sasuke's face hardened, remembering what it was like to have that warmth in his life instead of the constant cold that lived in him now. "I'm forever in the dark. You should know, my light's gone. I have no interested in finding my own way anymore." He looked down at the watch wrapped around his wrist then, and smirked. "Your time's up." _

"_Sasuke. . . please." Naruto begged, a tear slowly making a wet trail down his whiskered cheek. "Ignorance is only going to get you killed. Then what'll happen to Aki and Kyosuke. . ."_

Beeping had Sasuke waking up with a gasp. His breath came to him shakily as reality came crashing back down on him quickly, suffocating him. He shut his eyes against the rushing emotion that filled his chest in rapid succession, the overwhelming pain that torn at the broken pieces of his tattered soul. But the second his eyes closed, all he saw were those beseeching blues. His face twisted in anguish and he covered his face with his hands to stop the scream that threatened to break loose from his lips.

It was the same, every time he woke up from the dream, the pain was unimaginable. There was no controlling it, no restraining it, there was just a wave of despair that went havoc through his entire body. And it never truly stops.

The noise of the alarm seemed to blare in his ears, and in a violent impulse, he snatch it from the night table and threw it against the wall. He regretted it almost immediately when the thud echoed loudly through the room. He listened carefully for any movement from the room next door, but thankfully it remained silent. He released a hollowed breath, and attempted to gain some semblance of composure. He almost laughed, composure was no where in his reach. Never was anymore. . .

He was always told that time healed everything. . . The people who said that were fucking idiots.

Three years. . . that's how long it's been since Naruto died. And yet, it still felt like it was yesterday. It still felt like there was a gaping hole in his chest that no matter how much time passed, it would never heal. The wound was too severe, too deep. He was permanently damaged with no hope of recovery.

He thought he knew what it was like to lose Naruto, but that time held no comparison. Even when he practically saw it coming, he wasn't prepared for the true depth of _really_ losing his dobe.

After leaving Konoha, Naruto's 'attacks' gradually got worse. It wasn't that noticeable at first, but after four years, it became clear that the time between each 'attack' became shorter and the time he was sick became longer. The following two years, that's when it all went downhill. Where Naruto became sick all the time. Where he had to become bedridden for his final year. Where an 'attack' could hit one second and another could hit the next. Things became that unpredictable. That terrifying.

It was then that his mind finally became to realize one horrifying piece of reality. . . Naruto was dying. And no amount of research they did could save him. All he could do was watch as Naruto slowly faded away until the day when he completely disappeared altogether. . .

There was a mission for Akuma that day, one that Naruto was insisting for him to go on. It made him irritable, because he had no desire to leave the blond's side. Naruto may have never intentionally showed it, the constant pain he was in, but he knew his condition was grim. That he didn't have much time left. Yet, the scowl he received was far from a match with the deathly pale complexion of the man propped up by pillows and a manilla folder laid open on his lap.

"The mission is simple." Sasuke argued, snatching up a package of kunai he recently sharpened and shoved them into his weapons' pouch. Yes, Naruto still insisted on working. No matter how he tried to convince him that he didn't need the stress, he still down right refused to. He said if he just let everything go, it would be like laying down and dying. And the only time he was going to lay down submissively was if he was above him and ready to fuck him senseless. "I don't see why Itachi and Miki aren't enough for it?"

This was one of their usual arguments lately, he didn't want to go on missions, because it forced him to be away from Naruto for too long a time. Anything could happen, and even if he couldn't do much, he wanted to be there for Naruto when something did. Naruto, on the other hand, didn't see it that way. Sasuke believed the blond purposely sends him out on missions so he thinks he won't know how bad off he really was. He may have a foot in denial's door, but he knew. . .

"I don't care if those two have untapped powers being shot out of their asses –" Never said his illness had any effect on his mouth. On the contrary, it only got worse. "You're still going." The blatant command of his _captain_ rang through the room, and only pissed him off further. "Are you gonna stop arguing now?"

"Fuck you, dobe." he snapped, not happy at all. "This is the one place I can argue with my _Taichou_."

Naruto rolled his eyes and muttered bitterly, "Yeah, because I can be anywhere else."

"And that's the only reason why I'm allowing you to order me in my own _god damn_ bedroom." he particularly yelled.

Eyes narrowed at him, "Don't do me any special favors, teme."

He snorted rudely while grabbing his cloak and wolf mask from the secret compartment in the floor, then headed for the open bedroom door. With how angry he was, he planned on leaving without saying another word, but something stopped him in the doorway. Maybe it was lingering gaze that remained on his back, or the disappointed sigh that accompanied it, or maybe it was his own need to never leave for a mission on bad terms, but he turned back around and went over to their shared bed.

Bright sapphire jewels stared up at him with sadness and regret swimming in their deep depths. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the others' forehead. At the contact, Naruto's body sagged, releasing all the tension that built in the fragile frame. "I'll see you when I get back." he said reluctantly when he pulled back.

A shaky hand lifted and landed on his shoulder before he could turn away. He immediately remained still, knowing the limb held little strength. "I'm sorry for being such a crab." Naruto spoke softly, his voice full of emotion. "You know I love you, right?"

Sasuke frowned, not liking the dread that was settling in his stomach at how this was playing out. "Don't be an idiot."

Naruto's lips widened into a smile as the hand on his shoulder gave a little pull. "Come here, bastard." He followed the pull without a fight, leaning into Naruto and pausing shortly just an inch from touching those still soft lips. He was staring into those expressive eyes. . . searching. There was something there he couldn't quite identify, something that had his instincts flaring and standing up on end. The dread in his stomach thickened, but before he could open his mouth to question his lover, Naruto closed that slim distance and soon he was lost in the sensations.

When they separated, Sasuke drifted upward and kissed the blond's forehead again. "Love you, too." he whispered against the skin. He hesitated in moving away from his dobe, hesitated in leaving at all. He couldn't shake off the feeling that if he did, Naruto wasn't going to be there when he got back. "Don't do anything stupid, Naruto."

Naruto pulled back enough to look up at him. "And what am I gonna do?" he asked in a way that told him he wasn't blind to his own condition.

The hand that still remained on the side of Naruto's face continued to rub soft circles over the scars on his cheek. "Just be here when I get back."

It wasn't the roll of the eyes or the persistent hand on his chest trying to push him away that had him wanting to hold Naruto and never let him go, it was the emotion that filled his voice when he said, "Go. . . you know how 'Tachi gets. He'll kick your ass for holding 'em up."

"Naruto. . ." There was a warning in his tone.

"Stop worrying 'bout me, teme. . . For God's sakes, go." He spoke harshly, and almost immediately regret shadowed his eyes. When he continued, his tone was softer and pleading, "Please, don't worry. You know Ruri-chan's downstairs, and that she'll take real good care of me. Alright, Sasuke? I'll be here when you get back. I'll always be here. . ."

It didn't make him feel any better, he was still wound tight for a reason he couldn't understand. Still, he nodded and gave Naruto one last kiss before he left the room and began his way down the hall.

"Goodbye, Sasuke."

The whispered words froze him to the spot. He turned to stare back down the hall at the blond who sat on the bed busy shifting through the file on his lap. He held such concentration on what he was doing, it made him wonder if he didn't just imagine it. He stood there for a long moment before he went completely against every fiber of his being and left the house with Itachi and Miki.

They were just outside the village when the most excruciating pain he's ever known had him collapsing to his knees. It was like someone had used a butter knife to cut his soul in half. Nothing else got through the blinding agony that tormented his body. Not until he blacked out with only one name flooding his mind. . . _Naruto_.

He should have never left him. . .

Never. . .

Sasuke took a deep breath to steady himself as he got up from the bed. Three years. . . and it still felt like he was dying. He walked to the bathroom, turning on the light and standing in front of the mirror over the sink as he yanked on a shirt. There was no going back to sleep now, not for a couple of days at least. Since the dreams began, he's been trying to sleep as little as possible. But there were nights – like last night – where sleep was inevitable.

He stared at his reflection and felt a little pride when his features showed nothing of the turmoil that was raging inside himself. Time may not be able to heal shit, but it did help improve one's ability to hide it all from the world. He went through the motions of brushing his teeth and fixing his hair with a few simple strokes of a brush before he classified himself done. Then he left his room and automatically went to the door next to his, opening it and peering inside. His gaze went straight to the bunk bed to the right and to the two boys who were sound asleep.

On the top bunk was a twelve year old Kyosuke, he laid with his head at the foot of the bed and his arm dangling over the edge while his mouth hung wide open. He snored, and drool probably was pooling on the sheet with every passing second. He was a lot like Naruto, but in personality only. His shaggy brown hair and chocolate warm eyes were nothing like his blond's.

It was eight years ago when him and Naruto decided to settled down in a house in the repopulated Yuugure. A place where they could come back to after every mission. A place they could call home. Even though, that wasn't where they're home really was. It was then that they permanently took in Kyosuke and raised him themselves. Naruto had hated that Kyosuke was forced to stay in Suna with Temari. Without Gaara's fear-inducing influence, Kyosuke wasn't that welcomed in the village anymore. Not being a Jinchuuriki.

They raised him after that as their own. And even after Naruto died, he still recognized the boy as his adopted son. One that he could honestly say he loved and would fight to protect. Not many stood on that level. Actually, that level only consisted of two individuals. Kyosuke was one and his three year old son who laid on the lower bunk with his arms wrapped around a stuffed fox was the other. Those two. . . they were the only reason he was still alive.

The death of his dobe was. . . to say the least, hazy. He couldn't honestly say what happened once he woke up and found out that Naruto was dead. All he could remember was the pain and the knowledge that his blond was gone.

He didn't know how much time had passed before a baby of a couple months was put in his line of vision. There was talking in the background, but he didn't hear it. All he was focusing on was the small baby boy with raven hair and stormy blue eyes. And he just knew without a shadow of a doubt that the baby was his. A cry cracked the haze of his mind as tiny hands reached out for him. He didn't hesitate about scooping the baby out of the person's arms and cradling him close.

Being born in the Fall. . . Sasuke named him Aki.

It was later on – when he was more willing to listen – that he learned how Aki came to be.

It became obvious that Naruto purposely got pregnant, and chose to die to save their child. Being only four months along, there was no way the infant would have survived the transfer. Not on his own.

As it was explained to him, Naruto broke Kyuubi's seal and Kyuubi willingly sealed itself in Aki to save the child from death. To seal him in a chakra made womb until he was grown enough to survive on his own. Kyuubi saved his baby's life, but it also made his son the new Jinchuuriki of the Fox.

He was never happy about that. Only because he knew what Naruto suffered by merely being a Jinchuuriki. What things he had to endure just because he had a demon sealed in him. It made him sick just thinking that his son might go through the same thing. And then there was his worst fear – the ones who would want his son just for the demon's power. Just like Naruto. . . his son could become a target. It could all repeat itself, and he hated that the only thing he could do was prevent it.

If he failed. . . he'd have to watch his son die just like the only thing he could do was watch Naruto. And they'd be no bringing him back from that. . .

Silently, Sasuke closed the door and made his way downstairs. "When did you get back?" he asked the second he stepped foot in the connecting dining room and continued on toward the filled coffee pot.

"Two hours ago." Itachi answered from the table with several manilla folders opened in front of him and his own cup of coffee in hand.

"Hmn." He grunted as he poured himself some much needed coffee. The first sip of the scolding liquid, he enjoyed. It was the burn that traveled down his throat that he savored. It was the only thing that could warm him up anymore. But after the first sip, like anything else, it dulled and became bland and tasteless.

Coming back to the table with his coffee, he sat down across from his brother. "How'd it go?" he questioned, casually grabbing a file which held a photo and information on Seijo Keiko, one of Akuma's potential members. The girl was twenty and lacking in combat skills. That was enough for him to close the folder without another glance and throw it off to the side – rejected.

It was that time of year again, where they picked new members for Akuma. This occurred every two years since they began increasing their ranks about six years ago. It unfortunately became necessary with the higher demand of their services and the decreasing number of members. Since two months prior, Kyoko retired from the team after giving them the news of her being pregnant. And with the fact that she was married to Miki and him thankfully being the father, the obligation to his family forced him in lowering his intake on missions. They were now up to three kids – two boys and one girl.

Then Naruto became severely ill, which not only took away one member but two. Sasuke almost never went on missions when Naruto's condition got worse. No matter how hard Naruto tried, he could only get him to go on a few. Then after his death, Sasuke had nothing to do with Akuma for two years. It was just these past eleven months that he slowly began to reintegrate himself back into the team.

It was Itachi, Ruri, and Gaara who truly kept Akuma together.

"It went as expected." Itachi answered curtly while he lined up five open folders in front of him. He glanced at each photo that held the image of the person who could become part of Akuma. "Pick three."

Sasuke immediately picked up Hiiro Rei's file. He remembered the twenty-three year old woman from a few years back. She made an impression, and was in the top pickings for one of the positions two years ago with her strong medical abilities and fierce combat skills, especially with sharp objects. The only reason she wasn't picked the last time was because there were stronger applicants who were chosen instead. Now though, looking at all the other top applicants this year, she was the strongest.

He placed her file in front of Itachi, and he gave a barely noticeable nod of his head in approval. Going back to the files, he placed Harada Yuka to the side without giving it much of a look over. The last three who remained were Ine Akito, Jouda Ran, and Royama Kaito. Out of the three, he grabbed Royama Kaito first. He was a nineteen year old male with a fighting style that he heard was. . . odd. He never saw the boy fight, but what he heard was that the boy combined flawless hand-to-hand combat with Raiton Ninjutsu. The only downfall, as he began to read his file, was that he lacked the basic skill of chakra control which had his Raiton unstable and would probably become dangerous for his future teammates.

_That's too bad,_ he thought. But there was potential there, and as he took a sidewards glance at the last two, there was too much potential to pass up. Making up his mind, he placed Royama Kaito's file on top of Hiiro Rei's. An eyebrow rose on his brother's face at his decision, but he ignored it in preference to staring at the last two files. And continued to stare with a deepening scowl until Itachi tapped the picture of Jouda Ran. "His unique ability could prove quite useful to us."

He glared. That was Itachi's not-so-subtle way in telling him that the twenty-six year old male was the better pick of the two. And if he didn't want to kill the man, then he would have agreed. It's not every day where you meet a shinobi who could manipulate his molecules and chakra into walking through solid matter. Yup, the guy can walk through walls, and manipulate areas of his body where solid objects will pass right through him.

That was really the only thing going for him. His combat skills were. . . average – definitely not something to brag about. For being his age, he didn't have many Ninjutsu under his belt, but he did have the uncanny ability to stay unnoticed. Unless, of course, he was aggravating him with every visit he took to the underground compound.

"I don't like him." he deadpanned.

Itachi smirked, "Is that because the guy has quite a crush on you?" If it wasn't for the fact that he knew his brother was purposely being an ass, he would have punched that smirk right off that smug face. Instead, he narrowed his eyes to slits. This had Itachi sighing, "You know we need the best."

He snorted, Jouda Ran was far from the best, but his ability put him on the top of the list. Unfortunately. "Fine." he sneered. "But if the little shit doesn't knock it off, I'll be more than happy to knock him out."

"Understood." Itachi gathered the two files and put Jundo Ran with the other two and Ine Akito with the rejected. "We have our new members."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and got up, it was almost time to start breakfast. In about an hour, Aki would be bouncing down the stairs with energy he inherited solely from Naruto, then twenty minutes later – which he generously let pass – he'll have to go upstairs to drag a complaining Kyosuke out of bed. This was one of his routines when he was home. One, he had to admit, he enjoyed.

"You know you need to be there at the Initiation." Itachi said as he began to gather the supplies for breakfast.

"Yeah, sure." he said, distracted.

"Good." There was a pregnant pause, causing Sasuke to believe the conversation was over. He was fully intent on not saying another word until the kids got up, but Itachi just had to go on. "Now that's done, are you going to talk about the dream you had?"

"No." he said, not fazed in the slightest by his brother's question. It wasn't any surprise that he knew, he's always been creepily intuitive. But it didn't mean he was ever in the mood to share with his brother. Actually, he'd be better off if his brother would mind his own damn business. He was holding his breath though, the only time that would ever happen was if either of them were dead.

"What did Naruto say this time?" Itachi asked, apparently ignoring his response altogether.

Sasuke grabbed a red pepper and began to chop it up violently, he down right refused to have this conversation again. He stupidly talked to Itachi once about the dreams he was having, and now he just wouldn't let them go. He wasn't like Itachi, he couldn't talk about his late Abikaasa like it was just another ordinary discussion. The pain was too intense, too suffocating – merely getting through each minute was difficult. And Itachi wanted him to openly talk about his dobe. . . that shit was laughable.

Itachi began to speak again when he got nothing from him. "Sasuke. . . have you ever thought that maybe –" A knife deeply imbedding itself in the back of the chair right next to Itachi's head had him shutting up. Not a flinch came from Itachi as he stared back at him with a questionable eyebrow lifted.

He stood there, seemingly calm, but inside he was raging. The only evidence was the burn of his Sharingan active in his eyes and the rapid spinning of the tomoes. There were times when his brother just didn't know when to stop. To leave well enough alone. He was getting by, just barely, but he was alive and partly willing to stay around to be there for Aki and Kyosuke. But if his brother didn't stop pushing, the next time he wasn't going to purposely miss.

"Just checking." he said as he pulled the knife from the chair and laid it on the table. "You didn't have to start throwing things."

Without responding, he turned back to making breakfast, ignoring the stare that stayed on his back. He grabbed another knife from the drawer, then took his frustrations out on the onion in his grasp. After several minutes, he calmed down enough where he was able to push his Sharingan back.

It was so easy these days to lose his temper. And it wasn't the simple emotion of being angry, it was blind rage that burned through him. It had him seeing red every time anyone tried to force him into facing his own pain. To realize the true depth of his suffering. . . It would mean facing that one part of himself that desperately wanted it all to end. . .

And die. . .


	2. Connection Untied

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (Though the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Two

**Connection Untied**

The aroma of eggs, sausage, and bacon drifted out into the dining room where Itachi was sitting quietly. After the incident with the knife, he wisely picked upped the newspaper and hid himself behind it. There was no reason to further aggravate his little brother. Not in the mood he woke up in. And as he always thought, there was a time for everything.

He stared at the page he's been feigning reading for the passed twenty minutes. There was too much on his mind to settle on reading whatever the village of Eniwa had to write about. They no longer lived in Yuugure. They haven't for years – not since Naruto died. It was necessary to leave the village once Sasuke was sane enough to move on his own. It would have been too cruel to stay. To just allow his brother to sink deeper and succumb to his own grief until there was nothing left of him. What kind of older brother would he be if he allowed that to happen?

He wasn't like his former family where they would turn it into a test of strength. Where they would wait on the sidelines to see if they came out of the destructive loss of their Abikaasa or not. Those two groups, of either dealing with it or taking their own life to end it, he knew which category Sasuke would end up in. He wasn't foolish to think otherwise. There was no doubt in his mind that if Sasuke didn't have Kyosuke and Aki, he would have been dead by now.

It was a slow process, getting Sasuke back to being socially functional, but one thing still bothered him. No matter how many times he's suggested or even hinted, Sasuke has never been back to Yuugure. Not once. Even when Naruto was buried right next to their deceased daughter, Asuka, Sasuke has never once stepped foot back in that village.

Maybe it was too much to ask for? Sasuke wasn't even present when they buried him, never visited his grave before they left, never had any pictures of him around the house. The only picture being allowed was the one on the nightstand in the boys' room. He wished he could be in denial of how bad off his brother really was, but he knew his brother all too well. Sasuke was too sensitive, too emotional for it to not be eating him alive every second of every day. His little brother's pain was never going to end, it was never going to cease, not until the day he finally gave up trying and took the pain away himself.

Then. . . he wondered how Kyosuke and Aki were going to deal with yet another loss.

Speaking of the little rug-rat, he heard the distinct sounds of three year old footfalls loudly coming down the stairs. He peeked over the top of his newspaper, watching in amusement as a black mop of hair that resembled Sasuke's sped past the table and headed into the kitchen in nothing but his Uchiha insignia pajamas.

Sasuke had spun around and had Aki in his arms before the boy could get too close to the hot stove. He tipped Aki back playfully, causing him to giggle and a soft smile to appear on his little brother's face. This was the only time one got to see such a smile on the cold man anymore. When he was with his kids, it was amazing how a whole other Sasuke surfaced. He did always wonder if his brother was bipolar with the way he could easily change from one emotion to another.

Aki wrapped his chubby arms around Sasuke's neck and said with a wide smile that held a gap of a missing tooth, "Good morning, Tou-san!"

"Morning, Aki." Sasuke said with a kiss to the side of his head.

Putting his paper down, Itachi grunted to get their attentions and spoke with mock annoyance, "Here I'm being neglected. Don't I deserve some attention too?" This had Aki giggling some more, and wiggling in Sasuke's grasp to be let down.

Sasuke put Aki down and he immediately ran to his awaiting arms. He didn't miss the look he received from his brother when he lifted his nephew up and placed him on his lap. There was wariness in that look. When it came to his boys, Sasuke was downright paranoid no matter who you were. That's why he didn't take any offense, because that was tame compared to some of things he's done to other people. His brother was getting better, though. At least he hasn't broken any bones lately.

"Good morning, Ita-ji!" Aki greeted as his head was bent back and he stared at him in an upside down perspective.

He stared down into those blue eyes, just a shade darker than Naruto's but just as expressive, and pressed his forehead to Aki's like he did when Sasuke was younger. "And good morning to you too, little one."

A plate with an egg omelet and sausage, cut down into bite size pieces, and a glass of juice was placed in Aki's spot right across from him. He automatically lifted Aki up and handed him over to Sasuke, who put him in his own chair that held a booster seat in it. Aki smiled up at his father when he ruffled his hair, then Sasuke was back in the kitchen to finish making Kyosuke's breakfast.

Now it was time for the show to begin. A week ago Aki asked for a pair of chopsticks, wanting to show everyone he was becoming a 'big boy'. A week's passed, and he still hasn't gotten the knack down for them. But you have to give it to the boy, he was showing persistence. Even now, as he watched his nephew pick up the chopsticks and position them appropriately, he could see the determination shine brightly in those blue eyes.

Aki attempted to grab a piece of sausage, but it slipped out from between the two sticks. He tried again, and again it wiggled free. Itachi hid his amusement behind his cup of coffee when Aki pouted at the meat as it fell back down to the plate. Most adorable. It reminded him of Naruto when he first began to guard the blond in Konoha. When he wouldn't allow him to have his way, he would look up at him with that same look. And always, in the end, he would give in. He didn't think though, the two sticks would be that easily manipulated.

It was so plainly seen that Aki was an Uzumaki, but after a few more attempts in trying to pick up a piece of food, it showed he was an Uchiha too by the glare he gave the chopsticks.

Suddenly, in what appeared to be a last ditch effort, Aki stabbed a piece of sausage with a chopstick, then smiled boastfully when the sausage stuck. "Aha!" he yelled in triumph, throwing his arm that held the captured sausage in the air. When the sausage made its grand escape by flying through the air and landing somewhere behind Aki, Itachi couldn't repress the snort that came from him.

Sasuke approached the table and immediately his gaze went to a spot behind Aki. His eyes lightened in amusement, but even he saw that it was as thin as rice paper. And if one took the time to look underneath the surface, one could see the greatness of his suffering.

All focused back on Aki when he waved his chopstick and yelled, "Tou-san, I got one!" That's when he noticed the lack of sausage at the end of his chopstick. He frowned and then pouted as he brought the chopstick close to his face. "Where'd it go?"

The smile that Sasuke wore, surprisingly widened to new lengths. "Try looking behind you."

Aki looked confused, but did as he was told. When he turned back to his father, he was pulling off one of his more impressive 'I'm innocent' smiles and wide, puppy doggish eyes. "Whoops." He's had to learn those quick, especially with a prankster of an older brother like Kyosuke, who constantly gets them both in trouble.

Sasuke shook his head, grabbing the chopsticks away from Aki and handing him the fork that laid by his plate. "No more chopsticks for right now." Aki pouted but took the fork anyway and happily shoved a piece of sausage in his mouth.

Itachi got up and followed Sasuke when he went back into the kitchen. Filling up his cup again with coffee, he waited as Sasuke left the kitchen again to pick up the fallen sausage and returned to throw it in the trash can. "Did you choose the new members' first mission?" he asked, then took a sip of his newly steaming coffee.

"It's on your desk." Sasuke said, finishing Kyosuke's breakfast of pancakes and a couple pieces of bacon. Unlike Aki, who held the Uchiha's aversion to sweets, Kyosuke couldn't get enough of them.

"Hmn." he grunted, drinking more. Then smirked when a thought struck him. There were just some things he couldn't help but rub in his brother's face, even when he knew it would probably push to cause the guy's death. Oh well, he didn't particularly care for him anyway. "It should be very amusing to witness Jouda-san's reaction to finally being able to see your face. Don't you think?"

The prime rule of Akuma stayed in effect even with the new recruited members – keep your masks and hoods on, and use mission names only. It was only when they proved themselves and became a full member did they reveal their identities to them. And even then, their full trust was never given. Being an exception of three, no new member knew any of the veteran Akuma had any family. None knew if any of them had a wife, husband, or children. They chose to have it that way, because Akuma had changed.

There was no more unquestionable trust when it came to the new members, not like it once was. That was reserved solely for the remaining five of seven active members who once were the whole of Akuma alone. Now their numbers have reached to twenty-five with thirty-three recruits training to become a member themselves. With numbers like those, the likelihood of inside threats were high. Threats that had no chance at getting to their families if those families didn't even exist.

Sasuke glared at his brother, praying that death would strike him down at any moment. Itachi had taken to teasing him about Jouda Ran, the nuance fly that seemed to buzz annoyingly around his head. Such disdain that it was only a matter of time before the right moment came along. . . and he'll kill it. Brutally.

Ignoring Itachi, he poured a glass of milk and then grabbed the plate piled with pancakes before he headed back to the kitchen table. The chuckle that he heard from his brother damn near got him to throw Kyosuke's breakfast at his head. He refrained, placing the plate and glass on the table before they became weapons. He then turned to his son and asked mischievously, "Don't you think it's time for your brother to be up?"

Aki's eyes brightened, and he nodded his head vigorously, since his mouth was full with food. He smirked and ruffled his hair. Turning away from the table, he strolled out of the eating area and went upstairs. This wasn't just a wake up call, this was also training. His eldest requested for his training to be upped another notch, and that's exactly what he did.

He lowered his chakra close to nonexistence, and crept down the hall to the boys' room. He entered without so much as a creak, and eyed the boy who still slumbered on the top bunk. There was no mistaking the ache that resonated in his chest at the sight, because he wasn't fooled. With his Sharingan activated, he could easily tell that it was a Kage Bunshin. A technique Naruto taught him when he was alive. A technique he could identify even without his Sharingan, he was that familiar with the blond's former trademark jutsu.

Bringing his arm up, he blocked a kicked from yet another Kage Bunshin, then punched it hard enough for it to poof away. More Kage Bunshin attacked, and each were disposed of with little effort on his part. Then Kyosuke finally made his appearance from the dark corner he's been standing in for the pass three minutes, and immediately began to issue a series of Taijutsu that was advanced for his age. Besides a few minor Ninjutsu, jutsus were forbidden in their morning spars. There was a simple reason behind this: They were in the house. And even Kyosuke could perform successful jutsus that would be highly destructive.

It wasn't long before Sasuke decided it was time to end it, since he didn't want Kyosuke's breakfast to get cold. Besides, it only took a short amount of time for your fate to be decided. Using the kanji on his wrists, he extracted wire and quickly bond his son before he had time to realize what happened.

"Dammit." Kyosuke cursed while he banged his head on the floor. "This is so unfair."

To prevent permanent damage, he yanked him from the floor and threw him over his shoulder. Automatically, Kyosuke began to struggle and complain. He smirked at the situation, then frowned when he caught sight of the framed picture of Naruto. He remembered when it was taken, it was three years after leaving Konoha when they took Kyosuke to a festival in Sakurai. He's seen it many times, but the impact of seeing his dobe was always the same. Always paralyzing. . . There was no way he could ever look at a picture of him and not find the loss insufferable.

Kyosuke's thrashing had him moving, getting out of the room before it became too much. Yet, it was always too much. This was the reason why there were no pictures of Naruto around the house, merely to keep some kind of hold on his own barely obtainable sanity.

When he got into sight of the kitchen table, Aki's laughter filled the air. "Aniki looks so funny!" By the way Aki stuck out his tongue a moment later, he could only imagine that Kyosuke responded to Aki's earlier comment with the same.

In a swift movement, he had Kyosuke sitting in front of his breakfast with a soft grunt from him. Passing him, he planned to go to the kitchen to pour himself another cup of coffee. But really, he was using that as an excuse to reinforce that feeble barrier. A barrier that separated him from the full force of the agony that was a constant threat in consuming him. It was so thin, so breakable, that it took so much energy to keep up. Still, the alternative would be disastrous. . .

"Umm. . . umm. . . Tou-san, you forget somethin'?" came Kyosuke's troubled voice.

He turned back around with a lifted eyebrow and a forced smirk, unable to feel even the smallest of teasing enjoyment at seeing that he left his son tied up. "Hmm. . . maybe I did?"

"Maybe? There's no maybe." To empathize his point, he wiggled and would have fell off the chair that would have had him smashing his temple into the other chair if Sasuke didn't hurry over there to grab his shoulder and steady him. "See, the danger of such restraints. What kind of example –"

"Do you want me to untie you or not?"

"Yes, please." His attitude completely changing as he flashed an angelic smile.

Retracting his chakra from the binds, they fell limp around him. "Thanks!" Kyosuke said, either for releasing him or for the pancakes that he immediately began to inhale once his hands were free – he wasn't sure.

He walked off then, leaving his boys to eat their breakfast without his gloom stifling the atmosphere. He went straight for the coffee pot, going through the motions in refilling his cup and then leaning up against the counter with the rim hovering before his lips. He slowly began to zone out, sinking like quick sand into himself. He was hoping to calm down, to push his rapid emotions back enough so being around his sons wouldn't be such a chore. What he didn't expect was to sink so far where his vision darkened and. . .

. . . and his dobe to appear two feet in front of him.

Panic surged through him, his eyes wide and staring at Naruto in a simple white shirt and black pants with his arms crossed over his chest. "What the hell. . . I'm not sleeping." And even he could hear the fear in his own voice, because where else was he going to escape this torture if staying awake wasn't enough anymore.

"Nooo. . . you're not." he said simply. "But you did go into a meditative state, and since I knew you wouldn't be goin' back to sleep anytime soon. . . I hijacked it."

The hand that was holding his coffee was empty and he let his arm drop to his side as he tried to step back, attempting to get away. Away from the one thing that could surely take the last of his will to live. An unseen barrier blocked him though, stealing his escape from him. He slumped against it, damn near defeated with the never ending emotions that rampaged endlessly through his chest. He could barely breath with the constriction. "Why won't you stop doing this?"

The flat features of Naruto's softened at the brokenness of his voice. "I've already told you Sasuke, you just won't listen."

"Maybe I don't care." He couldn't. Doing so would require in believing that the blond in front of him was his dobe, then how was he going to endure losing him again? How was he suppose to survive it for a second time? He didn't think it was possible. How could it be? To lose him again. . . it would mean cutting another chuck of what little there was left of his soul and having it disappear with him.

"I'm getting tired of this, Sasuke." Those sapphires narrowing at him with anger. "I'm getting tired of this game."

He averted his eyes downward, gazing at the blackness that loomed underneath. The same blackness that dwells deep within him on a daily basis. "A game?" he muttered, "I didn't know there was a game being played."

A feral growl echoed in the empty space, and he was shortly reminded of how easy it was to rile Naruto up. Then he was abruptly startled when in a split second Naruto was mere inches from him with his hands planted on the barrier on either side of his head. This had never happened before, Naruto initiating such closeness. He always kept his distance, always kept out of reach. He preferred it that way than being close enough to see the depth of those intense blue eyes. To see unquestionably the very soul that his whole body screamed for. . .

"God dammit, Sasuke, I'm sick of trying to – to. . ." Naruto began to yell in his face, but quickly sizzled out when Sasuke cupped the side of his face, gently rubbing his thumb along the whiskered scars like he's done so many times before. "Sasuke. . .?"

Denial was hard to grasp onto when the other half of his soul was staring straight back at him. It was hard not to realize what was going to happen to him once Naruto was gone again. How further broken he was going to become. There was no saving him then. . . and there was no saving him now. He long gave up that salvation.

He saw the change occur, when understanding donned on the blond. That he realized he finally came face to face with the fact that Naruto was real, that he wasn't just a figment of his imagination. He didn't know why it took just being in reach to realize it. Just to be able to touch him and feel the electric current that traveled not only from his hand but from the flesh underneath it also, it was enough to give him such clarity.

When he tilted his head into his touch, he lost all thought and leaned forward, pressing his lips against Naruto's in a chaste kiss. "You're killing me, Naruto." he whispered against soft lips. "You're killing me. . ."

Tears leaked out of closed eyes, and when he opened them, they were overtaken with sorrow. "You always have to make things so difficult." he spoke with regret. "Please Sasuke, I'm begging you, there's not much time left. You have to kno. . . kno. . ."

The darkness began to lighten, Naruto fading as his kitchen began to take form around him. Fear gripped him tightly, fearing of never seeing Naruto again. It held strong even when he vaguely felt himself drop something, the noise of glass shattering reaching his ears.

A pain shot through his head, sharp and piercing, and then the darkness returned along with Naruto now gripping his face and an intense focus covering his features. "You have to know what's coming." he continued, sounding almost desperate to get it out. Again, the kitchen returned, but when the pain in his head turned to a splitting throb, the surroundings flickered back to Naruto. His arms were shaking and he had a faint glow of blue chakra surrounding him. "You have to know what 'Tachi's hiding from you."

_Itachi_. . . was the last thought that survived the sudden wave of stabbing pain that exploded throughout his entire head. He crumbled, barely feeling the floor beneath him as the pain enveloped and became too much to contain. And there was no holding it back, no keeping in the scream that let loose from his mouth. It was all consuming, the unrelenting agony that started in his head and then quickly traveled down channels into his body. He wondered if his time had come – if this was when he was going to die. And maybe he was the worst kind of father, but he couldn't find the emotion to care. All he could find was. . . relief.

It was short lived as the pain began to cease to a dull thud in his head. His body sagged, resting against something soft even as he fought to catch his breath. Everything ached, to the point where moving was proving difficult. So instead, he cracked opened his eyes, only to be met with black cloth. That didn't seem right. He stared at it for a long moment to allow his brain to get pass the shock, and finally realized that it resembled a leg.

"Are you still alive?" came a voice from above him.

He jerked himself back, not liking the close proximity, and groaned in regret when his muscles protested the quick movement. Leaning against the kitchen cabinets behind him, he found out whose lap he was laying his head in. His brother, Itachi.

"_You have to know what 'Tachi's hiding from you."_ The sight of his brother reminded him of the whole interaction with his dead lover. Of Naruto's warning.

"Apparently." Itachi spoke with a sigh.

Glaring, he shifted himself in a better position and winced when he tried to use his right hand. He turned his hand over and there was blood oozing out of a gash across his palm. He stared at the deep wound, this being the first he's even noticed. Glancing around, he found a chunk of the coffee cup he dropped with blood smeared all over it. And he could only assume that he clutched it in his hand when he was blinded by pain enough where a little extra wasn't even noticed.

Itachi got up and went over to the drawer where they kept their standard medical supplies. Uncaring about his wound, he let his hand fall to the floor as he faced forward. His line of sight directly in contact with the kitchen table, where he could plainly see the unfinished plates. "The boys. . ." he murmured, worried they'd seen.

"I sent them upstairs." Itachi answered as he came back and squinted in front of him. He went to grab his hand, but he pulled it out of his reach. An eyebrow arched in question, before Itachi ordered, "Give me your hand."

"I'm fine." he sneered, suspicion spreading through his veins like wildfire.

"That's why you're bleeding all over the kitchen floor." Itachi retorted, then snatched his wrist and roughly pulled it toward him. "Stop being ridiculous."

He could have cursed and punched his brother, but opted out just to glare as Itachi began to clean the wound in preparation for necessary stitches. It wasn't like he hadn't already caused a scene for his boys, he didn't want to cause another one by starting a full blown fight with their Uncle. He didn't think that was a wise move, not when his mind hadn't fully wrapped around the idea that his dobe was actually haunting him. And if that wasn't enough to have him contemplating for days, there was the warning about Itachi hiding something from him.

Since leaving Konoha, Itachi has never given him a reason to doubt him about anything. He would even go as far as to say he trusted his brother. After spending half of his life hating him, it took a lot of time to get to the point where he could look at Itachi and not get the immediate sense of uncertainty.

But now the real question was: Did he believe in his brother more than he believed in Naruto?

He damn near snorted, he didn't trust his brother that much.


	3. Bits and Pieces

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Three

**Bits and Pieces**

The streets weren't as busy as Sasuke expected for a mid-morning in Eniwa. By this hour, mostly all the citizens were up and ready for the day, causing the streets to become filled with bustling people. It was refreshing not to have to fight their way through a crowd for once.

They turned down another street, him and Itachi taking the boys to a – for lack of a better word – babysitter. Kyosuke hated it, saying he was old enough to look after Aki all by himself. He wished. There was no way in hell that he was ever leaving his boys alone until at least Kyosuke held the strength equivalent to an Anbu member. Other than that, he held no hopes. That's why his eldest was silently walking by him with his arms crossed and showing his displeasure by scowling at every person who walked by.

Aki buried his face further in his neck and whined when they passed two people arguing at a bread shop. He blamed himself for that reaction. For Aki's apprehension of others. Since, for the first two years of his life, Kyosuke was the only one who he would allow to hold him. Now, he rarely interacted with other children his age, or other adults for that matter. He rubbed his son's back to sooth him, and wondered if maybe he was wrong in isolating him.

During the whole walk to the little quint house six blocks away, him and Itachi hadn't spoken. Not since his brother tried to convince him that he should skip the Initiation of the new members and get some rest. After the first threat on his life with a mix of a killing intent that flooded the room they were in, he backed off. He had his own reason behind his desire to go to the underground compound, and it had nothing to do with the new members. He could careless about them. The underground compound though was where Itachi kept all his files. Everything that he never cared enough to look through or question. It was all there. . .

Walking up the stone path, they approached the door and knocked. It was only a moment before the door opened to reveal the former Hokage of Konoha, Tsunade. She still resembled a woman in her twenties, but in all actuality, she was somewhere in her seventies. . . he believed.

It was only a month after their departure from Konoha nine years ago that Tsunade retired from her position as the Hokage of Konoha and left. Jiraiya followed her easily, and they both kept close to Akuma wherever they relocated to. Then, five years ago, the worst happened. Jiraiya was found dead when he was a week late from returning from one of his 'research' trips. There was no evidence, nothing to indicate who the perpetrator was. And to this very day, they never knew who took that final blow.

"You're late." she spat, glaring at him like it was all his fault. He wouldn't say she hated him, but she didn't particularly care for him no matter how much time had passed. Time doesn't make the heart grow fonder. . . not hers' anyway. And not his either, because the feeling was mutual. Yet, that didn't change the fact that she was strong enough to protect his boys, and loved them like her own grandchildren. He was assured she would do whatever it took to keep them safe.

Like a switch, her features softened when she spotted the boys. "There's my grandsons."

Kyosuke grinned, and ran up to give her a hug. "Hey, Baa-chan." Such a contrast to the attitude from just a minute ago. At least he was smart enough to lose it once he was in her presence. Tsunade would not tolerate it, and it was good that his son had enough self preservation to know it.

Bending, he attempted to put Aki down, but he held strong by tightening his hold he had around his neck. He sighed, "Aki."

"I want to stay with you." he whined, their usual parting whenever he had to leave his sons with Tsunade to watch. He was accustomed by now, but with each departure, he kept hoping that Aki would be more willing to stay with another besides himself and Itachi. It didn't look promising. . . at least not anytime soon.

He stood straight, using his arm to support his son, and without the threat of being put down, there wasn't a struggle when he forced his youngest back to look at him. A fully developed Sharingan stared back at him. It still startled him every time he witnessed those eyes in a mere three year old. It began a week before he turned two, when he first took him to a park along with Kyosuke. He made sure it was empty, not even trusting other children thanks to his former lover, and let the two enjoy themselves.

It lasted for twenty minutes before a group of people walked by the park. He watched them closely, ensuring they were merely passing by. Then Aki suddenly started crying, and he rushed over to them, looking at Kyosuke for an answer when he found no danger. His eldest shrugged, appearing slightly panicked himself at the sudden outburst. Aki threw himself at him, and he picked his son up to console him. He pushed him back in his arms like he did today and when Aki opened his tear soaked eyes, that's when he first saw his son adorning a fully developed Sharingan. He remembered being so shocked that he damn near dropped Aki.

After that, he noticed that it only appeared whenever his son was frightened, and one incident when he was angry. It was a reaction that Aki couldn't yet control. And it made him worry that he would get upset around the wrong people who would recognize the Sharingan. It wasn't like they didn't have occasional problems from Konoha. They would just love to get their grubby little hands on an Uchiha heir that they could mold and shape into their ideal weapon.

The thought was enough to send a disgusting taste in his mouth. He stared into those Sharingan, and said in a soothing manner, "Tou-san and Ita-ji –" And no he couldn't believe it himself when he started to call Itachi such a thing for his son's sake. "– have some important business to take care of. Can you be a big boy and tolerate Tsunade-sama for a little while?"

He ignored the indigent holler from the older woman and watched as Aki's bottom lip quivered even more, but nodded his head nonetheless. "Look on the bright side. . ." he began as he placed Aki on the ground. "Maybe Kyosuke can teach you how to throw some kunai."

"Really!" both his sons chorused – one in excitement while the other was in disbelief.

On one side, Kyosuke's been trying to convince him to let him teach Aki some simple things while Aki's been begging on the other side to begin learning some basic shinobi skills. His agreement went against every protective gland he had, but if it kept his boys happy, then what was he suppose to do but relent. Only on one condition though. "Dull kunai."

That didn't even deter Aki's excitement, but thankfully it did cause his Sharingan to deactivate. Aki attached himself to Kyosuke's arm and began tugging. "Come on, Aniki. Teach me to become a great shinobi."

Kyosuke only followed after a exaggerated roll of his eyes. "See you when you get back, Tou-san." he said with a lazy wave of his free hand. Then they were both gone, disappearing inside Tsunade's house.

Before he could open his mouth and give his usual threat of his boys' safety, Tsunade beat him to it. "You're boys'll be fine, Sasuke." she spoke in a way that showed how many times she's had to say it to get him to leave. "You know I won't let anythin' happen to 'em."

Curtly, he nodded and turned to leave, apprehension filling his stomach like every other time he's left his children alone. Then his leg was grabbed and he found Aki wrapped around the limb. He looked up at him with those bright blue eyes, and said, "Bye bye, Tou-san. Be back soon." And he was off again, back into the house with Tsunade following suit as she closed the door behind her.

"That was unexpected of you, Otoutou." Itachi said, "And here I was expecting my poor nephew to begin learning when he hit twenty."

He only dignified that with a glare, which in turn, issued a chuckle from his brother. He set off then, not bothering to check to see if Itachi was there or not. He didn't have to, he could feel his chakra right next to his as they both sped to the North where the underground compound was located. They didn't speak throughout the whole thirty minutes that it took for them to run to their location. It was their average time that it took to get to the compound, compared to the full day that it would have taken if they had walked.

Since they didn't have to have their cloaks and masks on in Eniwa – only their tattoos of Akuma behind their necks had to be hidden under a Genjutsu, they put them on halfway to their location. Now the two stood in front of what appeared to be a huge ancient tree imbedded in a rocky mound. The secret entryway to the underground compound for Akuma.

Itachi approached the trunk of the tree, performing a long series of hand seals that only official members of Akuma are granted to know. As for the recruited, once they accept to enter the compound – with of course a proper warning – they can't get back out unless another official Akuma member escorts them. And the only ones with the authority to do that were the veterans. This was suppose to lower possible threats that might come up if any of the recruits were scouts.

After finishing the hand seals, Itachi pressed his hand flat against the tree and released some of his chakra into the trunk. Upon release, the area shimmered and morphed into a door. It took months to get the several layers of jutsus to work just right so that it would ensure not even a Hyuuga could detect its existence.

With the door opening, a stone stairway and a long downward trek met them. There were five levels to the underground compound. The first two levels were the living and training areas for the recruits. The next two were the training and living areas for the members who preferred to live in the compound. And the final level, right at the bottom, held the medical facility, the library – which held the most extensive reference collection one could find, and Itachi's office. That one room held every record on Akuma; files of every recruit and member, every mission ever taken, and every piece of information his brother didn't want just any member to view.

"Do you want to gather the three while I wait on the third level?" Itachi asked cheekily when they stood in front of the entrance to the first level; the recruits' living quarters.

He glared at his brother, who knew full well that no member was to enter the recruits levels alone. It was a precautionary procedure to have two or more members enter the recruits' levels in assurance that one single individual wouldn't be overrun by a riot. It's happened before with who they've picked.

The only member who could enter and exit the recruits' levels without one problem was Gaara. They've learned the hard way not to mess with him.

Although, him and Itachi have been having less problems with them since he put some dumbass into a coma for slapping his ass. Since then, they all knew not to touch him. Even Jouda Ran never once dared to put his hands on him. If he had, he wouldn't be around to even join the team.

Their presence was quickly known as they enter the first level and walked down the hall. If doors weren't opened, they soon were when someone yelled out about them. Bodies leaned up against the door frames on both sides of the hall as they passed, heading for particular rooms. Half of them nodded their heads in respect at their black and white masks that indicated their veteran status, while the other half held the hostility of a wild animal. They merely liked to test the waters whenever the time was right.

Sasuke honestly believed that Itachi purposely veered off to Royama Kaito's quarters so he would be stuck continuing down to – he scowled – Jouda Ran's. And he swears to god that vomit came up in his mouth when he entered the doorway and caught sight of the brunette lewdly stroking his cock. He refused to follow his impulse to turn and run away. That would show weakness. Instead he stood his ground with his arms crossed and prayed that his revolting stomach would keep its contents down.

As soon as Ran realized he stood there, those shitty brown eyes locked on him like leeches, and the man grinned as his hand jerked in fervor. Sasuke was disgusted, and it only got worse when Ran's pants turned to moans. But when the man moaned his mission name, his Sharingan blazed in his eyes out of pure rage.

He stalked up to him, wrenching him off the bed and slamming him against the wall with his hand tightly around his neck, cutting off his air and whatever garbage that would have come out of his mouth next. "Let's get one thing straight you little fuck, I have no problems ending your life if you so much as think your dick needs to be on display again." He leaned in close, sneering, "And if you so much as moan any name that refers to me in my presence again, I will not refrain next time and will kill you in the worst possible way. Do I make myself clear?"

An incomprehensible sound came from the man in his hold. He suddenly released him, letting him drop roughly to the floor. "What was that?"

It took a moment for him to answer as he refilled his deprived lungs. "Y-Yeah. . . your clear."

Being unhappy with the answer, he stooped down and got in his face. "Yes, what?" It was pathetic how he couldn't even look him in the eye and fight back. And the man expected something from him. Please. . . he despised such cowardliness.

"Yes, sir."

"Hmn." he grunted in displeasure. "Now get dressed and grab your shit, you made the team." He didn't bother to wait for his reaction, he turned and walked out to where Itachi and Kaito – a dirty blond with muddy green eyes – stood off to the side.

"Feel better?" Itachi asked, his voice appearing to be full of amusement, but there was an undertone of cold anger if one knew how to listen.

"No. . . feeling better would have involved me squeezing harder."

"Now now, Takai." Itachi taunted. "You're making our new member here nervous."

He finally noticed how pale the younger male was and the way he fidgeted on his feet. He was definitely having a problem staying still. But even with how nervous he appeared to be, his eyes not once lowered. At least someone had some balls. "Do you jerk off to this mask?" he asked blatantly as he pointed to his Wolf mask.

Kaito seemed a little frazzled by the question and immediately turned a bright shade of red. "N-No, sir."

"Good. Then you have nothing to worry about." Turning around, he headed further down the hall, hearing Itachi inform Ran in a tone that turned several degrees colder that he only had one minute. When he got to Hiiro Rei's quarters, he just stuck his head in and said to the auburn haired woman with teal eyes, "You're on the team, get packed."

"I'm ready." she said as she stood with a single bag in hand.

Sasuke's eyebrow rose at her readiness, but didn't care to question it. "Hmn." Then headed back to where Itachi, Kaito, and now a fully dressed Ran were waiting, Rei following behind him but with a wise length of distance between them.

He didn't stop, even as he came upon the three and Itachi stepped out, keeping pace beside him while the other two fell back behind them with Rei. As they made their way to the exit, there were many protests about their picks. Only because the protesters weren't one of them. It was amazing that none of them got violent. Well. . . not until they were on the other side of the sealed exit, that was when the sounds of heavy objects hitting the metal were heard.

It could have been worse. There was just too much aggression when it came to men and women who've been trapped to merely two levels for years. And they focused that aggression at the ones who they thought were at fault for their entrapment. Akuma. Even though, they were warned and still willingly signed up for their chance to get on the most fearsome mercenary team in all the Hidden Continents.

It was ridiculous, he thought. To put yourself in a situation where you're trapped like an animal. The team wasn't worth it. But stupidity runs deep, and each year they always got between two to five recruits to join the herd.

"Ahh. . . now we finally get to see the rest of the place." came the excited voice of Ran, apparently over his nice threat from earlier.

He rolled his eyes in irritation and then glared sideways at Itachi, blaming him entirely for having to deal with Ran on a regular basis. Living was already a challenge, adding another was absurd. He had a hair-trigger when it came to his temper. Especially when it came to certain things, he knew that just the smallest matter could set him off. That's why he came so close. . . so close in killing Ran that he could taste the death on his tongue.

It was too much to hear his mission name fall from those lips in such a way – even now it had his blood boiling in anger. There was only one person permitted to ever utter any of his names in a moan. Only one. . . And he'll be damned if he hears them from anyone else but _him_.

When they stopped at the training level for the Akuma members, Itachi spoke up, "Behind this door is the training grounds for Akuma. In order to get into any of five levels of the compound, or out of the compound itself, specific set of hand seals much be performed for each door." He demonstrated by going through the hands seals designated for the level three entrance at a speed that the others couldn't possibly follow without the Sharingan. And after he pushed his hand against the door and released some chakra into it, the door opened.

An enormous amount of open space was what was behind the door. Along the three walls, all kinds of equipment was lined up and ready for use. A fence could be seen in the distance, one that completely fenced off the forest that laid beyond it from floor to ceiling. It was suppose to be like the Forest of Death in Konoha, but they created it where it was more challengingly.

"Drop your bags to the side." Itachi said as they all enter the level where a single man wearing a Raccoon mask stood in the middle with his arms crossed.

Besides the various missions he goes on, Gaara's main responsibility was to keep the recruits in line. He preferred to stay in the compound since his breakup from Neji four years ago. It happened when Neji chose his Uncle's approval over Gaara and married some woman from a noble family. As far as he knew, the Hyuuga was already up to two sons.

There was still one month out of every year though where Gaara goes out to find new recruits. There were only three continents he picks beforehand to travel to. And he's made a habit of not coming back either a day early or a day late. It's always exactly one month before he's seen again with recruits in tow.

Once him and Itachi were standing side-by-side with Gaara and the new members were doing the same in front of them, there was a moment of silence before Itachi began speaking again, "Now that you're members of Akuma, it's proper that you known _who_ you're dealing with. This is our first show of trust by revealing our identities."

Trust his ass. Revealing his identity wasn't trust, it was an inability to find the will to care through the endless stream of pain that had him being the first to unfasten his cloak and allow it to fall to the floor. His navy blue, long sleeved shirt clung to his chest under the black vest and arm protectors covering his arms. He wore his black pants loose with shin protectors and shinobi sandals. It was on purpose that most of his skin was covered, he's gained a low tolerance for others' touches. He down right hated how his skin would crawl in disgust. He despised it enough where he took precautions to avoid it.

His mask was the last to be removed. He hesitated for only a second, merely out of the three sets of eyes that were glued to him. He didn't like the attention. Hell, he never liked the attention. Especially the attention that he was receiving from those shitty brown eyes that held the repulsing glint of lust in them. He just wanted to gouge them out so he could be rid of one less obstacle in his life.

With his Sharingan activated, he glared death when his mask was distracted to reveal his features. And it only intensified when Ran grinned in appreciation.

The next to reveal himself was Itachi, who still wore his standard black shirt, pants, and shinobi sandals. He also had his Sharingan activated and stared at the three with a smirk. Gaara was last, revealing the long, sleeveless overcoat that only showed the elbow length mesh shirt underneath, black pants, and shinobi sandals. He still carried the smaller version of his gourd which hung around his waist, while his larger one sat in his room.

"My name is Uchiha Itachi." Itachi informed first, "Former Anbu Captain of Konoha and former Akatsuki member."

"Uchiha Sasuke. Former Anbu Captain of Konoha."

"Sabaku no Gaara. Former Kazekage of Suna."

"No shit!" exclaimed Ran, "The Godaime of Suna in Akuma. Damn, I would've never guessed it. And then Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke. . ." The way he said his name had his tomoes spinning in warning. One false word and he was ready to strike. "I've heard a lot 'bout the both of you – of course, this was years ago before you two disappeared – but you both are the only Uchihas left. Brothers. . . It's always fascinated me how one brother could kill his entire –"

"Enough." Itachi said tersely, thankfully stopping the incessant ramblings that were beginning to cause his eye to twitch with fierce annoyance. Without even looking, he could tell that his brother was glaring by how quick Ran was silenced. "We have business to get to." A moment of silence, then he continued, "Now today you three will be learning only the hand seals for getting in and out of the training and living quarters for Akuma. If you do not learn them today. . . you will not be leaving this level until you do."

This was one of those rare times when someone could hear his brother talk so much. The others must have had the same thoughts because Kaito was hesitate to interrupt. "Um. . . You said there were five levels – what about learning the hand seals for them?"

"You are not permitted to know those levels." he stated, "Not yet, anyways. You see, you three are on a trial basis right now. But if you prove your loyalty, then you will be taught the hand seals for the rest of the levels and the entrance so you can come and go from the compound as you please. Otherwise, you will be escorted to the other levels if needed."

"When do we get to meet Tatsuo?" piped in Ran suddenly.

Sasuke's insides cringed, but he remained unflinching. Another secret. . . another lie they told to hide it all from the rest of the world. That Tatsuo. . . that Naruto was dead. Very few knew that Tatsuo was no longer behind the reins of Akuma. But according to everyone except the select few, Tatsuo was a mysterious leader who they never saw. And no one has ever question it.

"You won't be." Itachi said, "Tatsuo prefers not to deal with the new members." Ran had his mouth open to say more, but Itachi continued firmly that discreetly told the discussion was finished. "Now, if I do so ask something of our new medic nin?"

Rei wasn't the only one who was surprised by his brother's request, he turned and stared with a questionable eyebrow raised. Even Gaara was looking at Itachi with perplexity hidden underneath that cold layer in his stare. They had never used the new medic nins who were right off the rack. Time was required before they could even start to heal any of the other members. The veterans though, they only used other medic nins besides Ruri and Tsunade was when they were in dire straights. Which makes him wonder what Itachi was up to?

"You can call this your first act of duty. . . The medic nin we personally use is currently on a mission, so I need you to check my otoutou out."

"Excuse me?" he sneered, glaring as he felt the tomoes in his eyes increase in speed at his rising anger.

Ignoring him, Itachi continued in a way that showed his enjoyment of his actions. Sasuke was in no mood for his brother's antics, he had every inkling just to kill him. "He had an episode this morning. So. . . go on." he finished with a little wave of his hand in his direction.

When he noticed that Rei actually took a step toward him, he turned his glare on her and snapped, "Come near me bitch, and you'll be dead before you lay a finger on me." That stopped her with a wary glance to Itachi.

"Otoutou. . ." Itachi said like he was a child and his brother was reprimanded him. "I just want to ensure that nothing was damaged."

He wanted to punch that twinkle of amusement right out of his eyes. Hell, he always had an urge to punch his brother. He could just be sitting there quietly and it would irritate him, because he knew he was planning something if he was. "Don't I look functional?"

His brother snorted, "You've always been good at pretending functional."

Grabbing his cloak and mask, Sasuke walked away then, not putting up with his brother's twisted sense of humor any longer. And besides, the situation gave him an excellent opportunity to get away from the small group. He's been anxious to get to Itachi's office and see if he could find what Naruto was warning him about. To find out what he's been allowing to happen right in front of him. With the luck he's had with most of his life, he was preparing for the worst, because he held no hope that it was going to be good.

"Leaving?"

"Why not? I was present, my purpose here is done. Now I have other things to do." And he knew Itachi wouldn't question him in front of the new members. It was their unspoken rule, to show respect to the other when in the presence of non-veteran members. Even though he could feel his brother's curious stare on his back as he headed to the entrance of the level.

He didn't bother to put his cloak or mask back on even as he left level three and descended to level five, not passing anyone on his way down. When he entered level five he walked down the hall and turned around every corner with a purpose. He didn't have to sneak into Itachi's office, anyone who might have passed knew he had all the right to be in there as Itachi himself.

The room was sizable and filled with nothing but filing cabinets except for a small bookshelf that was filled with books and scrolls on the Bijuu and Jinchuuriki and a tidy desk in the middle of the room. He sat in the big, cushy chair behind the desk and the single picture that sat on the surface stole his sole attention almost instantly. It held within its timeless caption the only seven members that consisted of Akuma nine years ago. It was taken right after a successful mission merely two weeks after leaving Konoha. A time when he found out what it meant to be happy. . .

He took a deep breath through the unyielding squeezing in his chest and quickly laid the picture face down on the desk. There was no time to feel the pressure and to let himself drown in it. There was no guessing when Itachi's curiosity would be too much for him to handle, then he would get away from the others and find out what he was doing. There was no question about it. . . his brother hated not knowing what was going on.

Leaning back in the chair, he gazed around at the filing cabinets and wondered where he should start looking. In the end, his eyes landed on the drawers in the desk. It was an obvious location, but then one might think its too obvious and not look, which in turn would make it the perfect place to. . . he was starting to give himself a headache.

The first two drawers he tried only proved to hold office supplies, but the third one was locked when a lock wasn't present. Since he knew how Itachi worked, he didn't even have to think about pushing some of his chakra into the drawer. It popped open, and it slid out like a single filing drawer with it filled with manilla folders. Apparently, his brother was as obvious about the places he chooses to hide things as anyone else.

He pulled the first manilla folder out, the thickest one out of them all, and laid it open on the desk. A picture of Naruto taped to the corner of the first page had him pausing. It was Naruto's file. . .

With shaking fingers, he skimmed through the hefty stack. There were pictures, diagrams, notes. . . too much to take in at once. Maybe too much for him to take in at all. It appeared Naruto's whole life was in that file. His lover's whole life. . . and Itachi had it within his reach this whole time. Not anymore. He took out a scroll and immediately sealed the file into it. He was still shaky even as he tucked the scroll in one of his many pockets of his vest. There was so much information there that a nagging question began to tick its way through his mind: _What if there's more in there than I know?_

It was hard not to leave then, but he forced himself to remain and pull out another file. Hattori Aya, she was a member of Akuma for four months before she disappeared along with another teammate from a four man unit they sent out on a mission. From the statements given by the remaining team, the two went out to investigate some strange light and never returned. There was a small amount of evidence that there was some sort of struggle, but their bodies were never found.

He scanned the few pages in the folder, the same pages and the same information he's seen when the paperwork was done. Except. . . someone had written 'OI' next to her picture. _OI. . ?_ Automatically, a name popped into his head, one that had his blood running cold and anxiety to fill him.

Snatching another file from the drawer, Ueda Yuusuke was next to be laid out in front of him. He was a member of Akuma for three years before he was found hanging by his neck from a tree, brutally beaten and then stabbed to death. According to the remaining teammates, he disappeared for four days before they found him. Again, 'OI' was written by his picture.

He put the file aside and pulled out another one; Ikari Sesame. At this point, he didn't care what happened to the man, all he was looking for was that 'OI' written right next to his picture. He threw it aside the next second and pull out another, and the second he saw the 'OI', he pulled out yet another file. When he opened it, he paused. The picture in the file was of Jiraiya with 'OI' right next to it. . .

Maybe Naruto was right, maybe there was a game being played and he just never made the effort to be aware of it. Because there was only one meaning that his mind was willing to offer what 'OI' could stand for. . . 'Ouroboros Involvement'.

The door opened, and he didn't have to look up to know that it was Itachi. He came quicker than he truthfully expected. But it wouldn't surprise him if the room was rigged with a jutsu that would somehow let Itachi know whenever anyone entered it. His brother was that paranoid. Weren't they all though.

"Sasuke."

"Itachi."

"May I ask what you're doing?"

He didn't miss a beat when he responded with, "Looking through your personal files."

"Yes, I can see that. Why?"

Leaning back in the chair, he looked up and pointedly stared into Itachi's eyes. "Just wondering what you're hiding from me?" He wasn't expecting any sort of visual reaction, so he wasn't disappointed when he got none.

"Hiding?" Itachi moved to stand in front of the desk and answered with a question, "And what am I suppose to be hiding from you?"

Sasuke was on the verge of losing his control. There was a possibility that Ouroboros has been involved in things that his brother has apparently been keeping track of, and not once has he even informed him of any of it. Even when the folders were right there in front of them both, Itachi was still refusing to admit anything. There were so many things he could do to try and get it out of Itachi, but he's learned since the massacre of their family that if his brother didn't want him to know, he was never going to get out of the man no matter what he did.

He simply glared without intensifying it with activating his Sharingan. There was a reason behind his restrain. If they wanted to think him a fool, then he wasn't going to ruin their game just yet. "Who knows what you're hiding from me, Itachi." he said as he stood from the chair. "But whatever it is, I have every intention on finding it out." He moved around the desk and headed for the door, not trusting himself to be around his brother right now.

Itachi watched as his brother moved around him and left his office. Once the door was closed, he swiftly moved to the drawer, knowing none of the folders on top of desk were thick enough to be his, and found it gone. _Sasuke. . ._ he thought with a sigh of dread, _. . . you won't like what you find. . . sometimes the truth is far worse than the lies. _

For years, he's tried everything in his power to keep his brother alive. To protect him from all the things that would threatened that small semblance of will he had left to live. And that truth which was hidden beneath all the lies he's constructed and built since Naruto's death, it was all in the blond's file. If Sasuke actually had the strength to go threw the entire file, to hold out until he reach the very end, then he truly feared how far his brother would go.

How far would he go to protect what was rightfully his?

In a sudden flash of anger pointed directly at his carelessness, he slammed the drawer shut. He took a deep breath before he asked in his usual calm tone that didn't show the anger from a second before, "What did you find?"

A long suffering release of breath was heard from the corner of the room, where Miki and Ruri have been hiding in the shadows since he walked in – and who knew how long before that.

"That was fucking close." Miki blurted, clutching at his chest like he was having a heart attack. "I thought he was gonna activate his Sharingan for sure, and then guess what, we'd all be screwed. Why do you always have to provoke him?"

He ignored Miki when he noticed the face down picture. And even as he stood the picture back up, he knew Miki wasn't giving his brother enough credit. Or Miki was overestimating his skills again. Either way, no matter what Miki or Ruri did to mask their presence, it would be almost impossible to get passed Sasuke without him knowing about it. Not only was Sasuke paranoid about the unseen, but with every room he entered, he send a subtle wave of chakra out to scan the room. And when he pulled the chakra back into himself like boomerang, it would contain the information if anyone else was in the room.

It wasn't that long ago that he even learned that his brother was doing it at all. And that was only because Sasuke was upset upon entering a room, and his emotional state had sent too much chakra out. The sudden rush of chakra was enough for it to register with him. He questioned Sasuke about it, and he informed him that it was a simple technique he's been doing for so long that he doesn't even realize he's been doing it anymore.

Miki was still grumbling under his breath for him ignoring him. Even after all these years, after getting married and having children, Miki still hasn't fully grown up. He started gathering up the folders and placing them back in the drawer, saying, "Anyone care to inform me if anything was found?"

Ruri was the one who answered, "When we arrived at the facility, it was fully operational. We spent two days scouting and are positive that it's them." A rare malicious smile spread across her features, "We finally found them, Itachi-san. We found Ouroboros."


	4. The Choices That Are Made

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Four

**The Choices That Are Made**

"We finally found them, Itachi-san. We found Ouroboros."

The small flicker of anticipation was rapidly snuffed out and replaced with suspicion in Itachi's eyes. It's been nine years. . . nine years since they began searching for the skillfully evasive group. At first, all seven members who consisted of Akuma took part, but when Kyoko became pregnant and then Naruto took a turn for the worst, it was down to only Ruri, Miki, Gaara, and himself to continue the search. Even after Naruto's death, he did all he could to keep Sasuke out of it for his own good.

Throughout the nine years they mostly received small leads, and more often than not, they were purposely placed for them to find. They quickly learned to take each lead with a gran of salt. So, when Gaara brought a member to his office to inform him about a seemingly abandon facility that had guards around the perimeter, he was leery.

Still, his need – a hop, skip, and a jump away from being an obsession – to investigate each lead in case just one was legitimate had him sending Ruri and Miki out to check it out. He gave them one warning before their departure: Tread with caution.

He never expected it to pan out. Not after nine years of Ouroboros covering their tracks to the point where it almost seemed like they never existed in the first place. And if it wasn't for Naruto and Asuka and their persistence to avenge their deaths, then that's how it would have been. That's why there was no possible way that Ouroboros would have slipped up without intending to. Which could only mean that the facility was a trap. . .

"Are you sure?" he asked even though Ruri and Miki were fully capable of determining their opponent.

"As sure as I know that babies have the worst shit in the world." Miki said bluntly.

That comment had Itachi doubting the full capability of Miki. But like always, he chose to ignore the man's more idiotic comments and said, "I have to sort a few things out with Gaara-san about the new members, but we should be able to leave this evening."

"And what 'bout Sasuke?" Miki asked.

"What about him?"

"Don't you think he'd want to come?"

"No." He refused to involve Sasuke just yet. He honestly would prefer it if he never had to involve Sasuke at all, but there was no stopping his brother when it came to anyone who harmed and then killed his most precious people. His everything. . .

He had already lost that small inkling of hope that Sasuke wouldn't be strong enough to read through Naruto's entire file. That was just hopeful thinking, and he preferred to deal in the facts. And the facts were: Sasuke wanted revenge. That revenge would drive him into reading his former lover's file. To torture himself and uncover the truth hidden beneath all his lies and all the lies he forced others to tell. It would be all revealed, and then it was only a matter of time before his brother was right in the thick of things. So. . . why rush it?

"This is becoming bullshit." Miki muttered angrily as he began to pace back and forth like a caged animal. "Fuck, he's suspicious, Itachi. He has to know your hiding somthin', or he wouldn't be poking 'round in your shit. If he finds out what we've been hiding – what you've forced us to keep our mouths shut 'bout – then we're all dead."

Itachi stared back at Miki evenly, showing the other man that the decisions he made so far would be the same if he had to do them over again. Keeping Sasuke alive and with his sons has been his top priority since Naruto's death. Yet, if his suspicions were correct about Ouroboros, then he might have no choice but to watch his brother fall right over the edge and take whoever was in his way with him. "It's too late. Sasuke took Naruto's file."

Miki's complexion paled, "Well, fuck me. . . isn't that great."

"You should tell him, Itachi-san." Ruri spoke up after standing there silently. "Sasuke-san shouldn't have to learn the truth from Taichou's file. It feels wrong if he does."

"It's not about what's right or wrong anymore. . ." he trailed off, which gave Miki a chance to make another one of his smartass comments.

"Yeah, it's 'bout stayin' alive against your insane little brother."

He glared at the younger man with his Sharingan activated. Miki chose wisely to keep his eyes averted and stare down at the floor. It didn't use to bother him so much, people badmouthing his little brother, but now it gets under his skin and sets him on edge. Maybe it was because he was so close to losing him. "We're leaving tonight. Make sure you're ready."

Ruri curtly nodded her head in affirmation while Miki shook his. "We should've told him from the very beginning, no matter how he would've took it. But you don't care and don't have anthin' to lose. . . I do though."

Miki left then, leaving Ruri standing in front of his desk and staring at him with eyes that showed the conflict in her. She didn't agree with him, he knew that. But like Miki said, he didn't care. He always did what was best for his brother, and _no one_ was going to change that. Even if he was using their trust, their loyalty for him to do it without much concern for the consequences, then that's what he had every intention to continue doing.

Ruri sighed, apparently not liking whatever she was searching for, and gave him a small, yet strained smile. There was one person he could always count on even throughout all his schemes, and that was the woman standing in front of him. She bowed slightly before she left the room.

Itachi sat down in his chair and pulled out the flat drawer that responded only to Uchiha chakra for security reasons. He could tell Sasuke didn't open it, and if he had, he would have seen the two pictures he kept for his own personal viewing. One was a picture of Sasuke, Naruto, and Kyosuke and the other was of Sasuke, Aki, and Kyosuke. It didn't take much of a look to know there was a difference between the two photos – between the two Sasukes. Such life poured off of his brother as he stood next to Naruto, but that life was nonexistent in the other picture. Even with the small smile, it never reached his eyes. They were as tortured as he knew Sasuke suffered with every day.

He sat there for a long while just staring at the two photos. He killed his family to keep them safe, then he failed in protecting Naruto, and now. . . Miki was wrong. Contrary to what the man thought, he had something great to lose. . .

If things went as he suspected. . . then he'd lose the very last of his family.

* * *

><p>Miki stalked down the hallway, furious at what he's gotten himself into. From the very beginning, his instincts told him that keeping any knowledge away from the younger Uchiha was going to come back and bite him in the ass. But he listened to Itachi, and after one lie, it was too late to make it right without repercussions.<p>

He regrets it now, following Itachi's lead even when the likelihood of the outcome was so plain to see.

At first appearances, one would think that Itachi was the one to fear out of the Uchiha brothers, but not many people knew how dangerous Sasuke could be. He was of the cruelest kind when it came to his family – one who would turn on _anyone_ without thought or hesitation. Very few have seen that side of the Uchiha, very few who knew how to push him that far didn't dare. Though a man who they used to get their supplies from for years learned the hard way how fast Sasuke's temperament could shift when an idiot decided to open his mouth and speak. . .

Naruto's health had been awfully bad that whole week, and the whole team was stressed over it, especially Sasuke. He stayed by the blond's side and never cared to leave it, he respected the man for that – for loving Naruto like he deserved. But everyone could see that he needed a break, needed to just get away and get a little breather.

That was easier said than done.

Well, there was a lot said, but after a few impressive threats from Sasuke, nothing was tempted to be done. Not until a weak Naruto voiced that the supplier did make some tasty meat buns, and that was all that needed to be said to get Sasuke to leave the house. It had always impressed him how much power Naruto held over the Uchiha, and he didn't even have to say he wanted one either.

It was Itachi and himself who accompanied Sasuke to the supplier. Of course, they had different reasons for being there besides the guy's meat buns, they were running low on certain items and needed to restock.

When they arrived at the store, there were a few customers who stopped whatever they were doing to stare at their masks and cloaks when they walked in. It didn't take a genius to know the whole store recognized them at being part of Akuma. As they moved further into the store and away from the door, more than half of them left, leaving only one customer talking to the supplier.

Sasuke veered off from him and Itachi as they headed straight to the supplier. The man glanced their way, panic filling his eyes before he quickly excused himself from the conversation with the customer and practically ran to serve them. "What can I get for you today, Kane-sama?"

Itachi immediately began to list off the supplies they needed as he unrolled a scroll and laid it out on the counter. With each item spoken, the supplier would run off and bring the exact item and amount back to place it on the unrolled scroll. By the time the last item was reached, Sasuke was coming around the corner of an aisle with a brown paper bag that held the meat buns in his hand. As he passed the single customer in the store, a disgusted look crossed the man's face until he saw Miki was watching him, then a cynical smile was thrown his way. In return, he threw up his hand with his middle finger in salute and a cocky grin under his mask.

_Fuck you too_, he thought as Sasuke placed the bag of meat buns on the counter after Itachi was done sealing the goods. After the first initial threat about checking their food, the supplier merely asked how many meat buns there were without opening the bag. Chances were never taken when a poison could easily be slipped in when checking the amount. And since they were for Naruto, odds were that Sasuke would have cut his hand off if he even tried.

"Two." Sasuke said before the supplier could ask.

"Will that be all?"

Miki yanked a beef jerky out of a jar and waved it in the air to show he wanted it also. The supplier looked at Itachi – like he needed permission to get some beef jerky – and Itachi nodded, getting the total and paying for it.

They were on their way out the door when the customer just had to open his mouth and say loud enough for them to hear, "Filth. . . Haven't seen your leader lately. What was his name again. . . ah right, Tatsuo. What happened to him? Did he finally just up and die on you? The world'd be a better place if he had." The man laughed then on a matter that had Sasuke radiating with such killing intent, it sent the room down several degrees. Not the best subject to run one's mouth about when the man's lover was overly stressed and willing to kill anything that happened to strike the wrong cord.

A chill of fear ran down his spine and he fought the urge to distance himself from the silent Uchiha. Sasuke shifted, and he carefully watched as he calmly placed the bag of meat buns on the shelf nearest him. And no one even saw it coming when Sasuke abruptly threw a kunai without even turning around. The sharp metal embedded itself in the hand of the customer with a loud scream coming from the man. There was no mercy though, not with the aura that was surrounding the Uchiha.

Sasuke slowly turned around, and the only way to describe the way Sasuke was stalking towards the man was of a predator and his injured prey. He attempted to intercept the raven, but a hand flat on his chest prevented him.

"This is one of those situations where it's better for our health if we do not interfere." Itachi said.

He wasn't about to argue with the man, not when Sasuke was currently unleashing several months of pent up emotion. He was vicious and brutal with each hit he issued, breaking bone and deforming every part of the man's face until he was dead. It reminded him of the time in the forest when Sasuke and that pink haired girl came to retrieve Akuma, where Sasuke beat a Kumo shinobi to death, but he could tell this didn't even compare. There was no denying the malice, the pure malicious intent that drove each movement of the younger Uchiha.

Once Sasuke stood straight, blood dripping down his Wolf mask and staining his hands, it was the first time since meeting the Uchiha that he's ever been afraid of him. He'd just witnessed the true darkness that dwells in him. And it was ugly and terrifying. . .

That's what worried him, that with every deceitful telling and every piece of information withheld that it'd come back to them in the most horrific way. It's how the shinobi world worked. A shinobi wouldn't go directly to the one who did them wrong, they would target their families first. It was the perfect attack to weakened their opponent, and in that weakened state before they become overcome with fury, that's when the final blow would be issued. And he wasn't that naive to believe he meant anything to the Uchiha other than a comrade. That barely registered when it came to Sasuke though, not when there was very few who did matter to the man.

Dread sunk deeper in his stomach every time he thought about how far Sasuke would go. How far he would go to ensure nothing got in his way from his revenge. But he already suspected that in order for Sasuke to get that revenge, they had to stand between him and something he would risk his very life to protect.

He growled and roughly ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Everything was becoming too complicated – too risky. Who'd thought that one of their biggest threats would be one of their own.

Ruri caught up with him and began to walk by his side. Automatically, he opened his mouth and said, "I don't see the logic in Itachi's reasoning. I mean he hid it from Sasuke all this time, why did he just let him walk away with that file knowing – " He suddenly stopped talking, stared at her hard, then asked himself, "Why the hell am I bitching to you 'bout all this? You would follow that man into hell."

There was a small span of silence before Ruri responded with, "I don't agree with his tactics. They're too backhanded for my liking."

"Backhanded or not, you won't disobey him." he snapped back.

She turned with a glare marring her features, saying pointedly, "Neither will you."

He grumbled under his breath as they continued down the hallway, because she had a point. No matter how much he disagreed with Itachi and no matter how much risk there was by following him, he wouldn't go against him. He was too god damn loyal for that. . . and he hated himself for putting his family in danger over it.

There was more grumbling, then he came to a conclusion and said, "Yeah well, I have no intention of letting Sasuke kill me either."

"Now why would I do that?"

He froze, turning slowly to the corridor to his left where the voice came from. There was Sasuke, leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and that annoying eyebrow raised. So similar to Itachi's, but so far away from the oldest Uchiha's with that dangerous edge in the depths of his eyes. It was sharp, and held the suspicion of the untold. Held suspicions of them. . .

It was obvious that their presence they thought was well concealed within the shadows of the office wasn't enough to keep Sasuke was sensing them. Otherwise he wouldn't be waiting in their path for them. He wouldn't put that much effort into anything unless he thought them the enemy.

Miki opened his mouth to speak, but found he didn't know what to say. How was he going to explain his previous comment away? He forced a jesting expression to flow into his face. "What can I say. . . if we were in a fight, I wouldn't let you win. So, what you've been up to Sasuke? How's everything going?" Changing the subject quickly.

For a long moment, Sasuke just stared at him with that same look that had his warning signals blaring. "Just finding out how easily trust falls."

His face faltered and his body tensed in apprehension. The trust Sasuke held for them was slim at best, this he knew, but it was the only reason he tolerated them. It didn't surprise him that trust was gone now, it would only take a small incident for it to evaporate. "That. . . That must be interesting."

"It will be."

The hidden threat was plainly heard as Sasuke pushed himself off the wall and made his way down the hallway. Miki's face fell the moment the Uchiha's back was turned. He wasn't ashamed to say he was frightened of Sasuke. There was little to nothing to go on to indicate when Sasuke would snap. No one talked about it, no one really wanted to, but they were all waiting on pins and needles for that dreaded moment to come. Because he may act it, and he may pull off a good show, but Sasuke was far from being the poster boy for sanity. He was too unstable to handle the betrayal they're ready to commit. . .

Once he was positive that Sasuke was out of earshot, he spoke without taking his eyes off the Uchiha's back. "He knows." Speaking to Ruri who stood off to the side. "He may not know what's being hidden, but he knows we're involved."

"Yes, he does."

And the way she said that so calmly had him turning to face her. "How the hell can you be so calm about all this? He learns the truth, we stand in his way, and that's it, we're dead. That's not somethin' to be calm about."

"But it's something that Taichou would want us to do." She walked away then, heading down the opposite hallway that led to the medical facilities of the compound.

He remained rooted to the spot, unable to voice anymore of his worries. There was one other person who held more of his loyalty than Itachi did, and that was Naruto. It was a mess when they first met. Getting in a fight in a bar with a bunch of drunken idiots does make one big of a mess. But in the end, they became friends. Best friends. Now he was willing to die to protect what always meant most to Naruto, and that was non-other than Uchiha Sasuke. That's how loyal he still remained to a man who's been dead for the past three years.

Cursing the whole situation, he headed in the same direction that Sasuke went. Unfortunately that route was the only way out of Level Five. In a slow pace, he made his way to the entrance to the Level, and was relieved there wasn't another encounter with the younger Uchiha. He kept the same pace as he climbed the stairs to exit the compound, not taking any chances as he situated his cloak and covered his face with his Dragon mask.

Once he reached the outside, he took a deep breath of the fresh air through the holes of his mask before going into a full blown run. He lived two hours away when he pushed himself to get home, or one to three days away if he was exhausted and chose to walk and occasionally run. After Naruto died, it wasn't just Itachi and Sasuke who moved out of Yuugure, they all did. And with the knowledge they learned before they left, he purposely chose a place a good distance opposite from where Sasuke lived. Even though they knew where each of them lived, he felt reassured by the distance that separated them.

It was a fool's reassurance, because if Sasuke wanted him dead, there was no amount of distance that would stop him from fulfilling his goal. He was sure of it. But even with that thought always plaguing his mind, it wouldn't prevent him from standing in the Uchiha's way.

He came upon the street he lived on, and slowed down to a walk. His cloak and mask were taken off and sealed away before he even entered the village, so as he walked past a fruit stand with an old lady running it, she recognized him not as an Akuma member, but a hard working husband and father. She may not know _exactly_ what he does, but no one in the village did. Though he did find some amusement in their guesses.

Noise automatically reached his ears when he stepped foot into his two-story house. He followed the sound like a man dying of thirst, and was led to the living room where his eight year old twin sons were bickering over something he would have hear from the beginning to even understand. Kyoko was in the middle of the room playing with their five year old daughter. He just leaned against the frame and admired the family that somehow was his.

His boys were almost duplicates of himself, the only minor difference was the flecks of gold in their eyes. His little girl held more of Kyoko's characteristics. Her hair was a light strawberry red, thankfully a few shades darker than being pink, and held the same graceful waves as her mother. Her eyes though, they were his in all their deep, blue hues.

Expectantly, Kyoko was the first to know of his presence. She turned to him and for a second her face glowed with joy at seeing him before she masked it with a feigned annoyance. There was no denying how beautiful she was. More so than when he first met her. She no longer wore half of her hair in pigtails, instead she pulled those sections back and tied it with a barrette, allowing her gorgeous red hair to flow down her back in rivulets. The years matured her, but not too much where she lost all her quirkiness that he fell in love with. They still fought like cats and dogs, but that was just how their relationship worked.

"I'm not sure if I should welcome you home or not." Kyoko said while crossing her arms over her breasts. "Took you so long."

Her announcement immediately got the attention of their three children. Naruko – named after non-other than Naruto – was the first to scream, "Daddy!" and come charging. Miki caught her in his arms when she pounced, and it was mere seconds before his sons – Masaaki and Ryota – were knocking him down on his ass. He was laughing even as he was being bombarded with questions about his _adventures_.

He barely noticed when Kyoko got up from the floor and approached their small dog pile. She circled the pile, coming to a side where she had clear access to him. He leaned his head back when he did realize how close she was and gave an awkward twist of his neck to look at her. She leaned in close and pecked him softly on the lips. "I guess. . ." she began, merely separating an inch from him. "Welcome home." Then she gave him one of her bright smiles that filled him with such warmth – that made him always see how lucky he truly was.

With the kids enthusiastically telling him what they've been doing since he's been gone, it was commotion then on out. It was two hours later when he finally got a moment alone with Kyoko. She was currently making dinner when he walked into the kitchen. He pressed close behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. Her head fell to the side with a satisfied hum, exposing more of her neck to his explorations.

"Do you want peas or carrots as a side?" Kyoko asked, causing him to sigh heavily against her neck. She had a _gift_ when it came to destroying the mood. It never fails. Over the years, he had to question if she did on purpose, but no – it was just another quirk about her that was a guarantee to drive him insane one day.

He stepped away and leaned against the far counter, rubbing his eyes in annoyance. "Doesn't matter to me, I'm not gonna be here for dinner anyway. Got another mission."

"Another one." she said while turning to face him. " 'Tachi's really pushing. . . There's not something going on? Is there, Miki?"

Forcing his face not to give anything away, he casually said, "Nah, just stuff Itachi doesn't trust the other members to do."

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

That's all he's been doing. Like Itachi's been doing to Sasuke, he's kept it all from her. He kept telling himself that it was for her own protection, but really, he didn't want her to know what kind of betrayal he was willing to commit. She wouldn't be able to handle it. She thought of all the veteran Akuma as family, and betraying one would be like betraying them all. She would never forgive him for that. So, he looked at Kyoko right in the eye. . . and lied, "No."

When Kyoko nodded and turned back to face the counter, he thought it was over. Things are never that easy for him. "I don't believe you." she said it as she moved to get some vegetables from the refrigerator. He remained silent while she grabbed a cutting board and placed her supplies on the counter. That's when she turned back around, worry so evident in her eyes. "I'm not stupid, Miki. You wouldn't be taking this many missions if it didn't have something to do with Ouroboros."

The shock he felt remained inside with no effects to the impassiveness he wore. "Kyoko –"

"I don't want an explanation. Apparently, you don't want me to know, and I guess, you have your reasons." There was a long moment of silence before she continued with tears brimming her eyes, "I want you to be careful, Miki. Ouroboros is dangerous, look what they did to. . ." She stopped herself and looked away as a tear slid down her cheek.

He closed his eyes away from the reminder of that awful day when they lost their closest friend. . . It was one of those days none of them would ever forget.

It was suppose to be just another day, just another mission. Sasuke, as usual being forced to leave Naruto's side, was grumpy and silently stewing while Miki casually talked about random things and Itachi occasionally adding a grunt here and there. They were just outside the village when it happened – a huge surge of chakra occurred at the same time Sasuke collapsed in what resembled a violent seizure.

Both he and Itachi rushed to Sasuke, immediately trying to restrain the youngest Uchiha from hurting himself. Everything happened so fast, he didn't know how long it was before Itachi yelled, "You have to get back to the house, something happened to Naruto." It was startling how frantic Itachi sounded. It made the situation that much more real. "Get to Naruto! Go!"

His feet moved without conscious thought, running with all his strength to hopefully prove Itachi wrong. That what was wrong Sasuke didn't have anything to do with Naruto. But as he burst through the front door and found Ruri sitting at the top of the stairs with silent tears, his hopes vanished. He stood there for several long moments just staring up at Ruri from the foot of the stairs, unable to voice his fears. Instead he climbed the stairs, each step that much harder than the last one, and made his way down the hallway to the partly open door at the end the hall.

He was crying. He could feel the steady stream run down his face and wet his cloak. When they started, he couldn't be sure, but he was positive they wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. He stared at the wooden door, and it was hard, raising his trembling hand and pushing that door open.

A sob broke free at the sight of Naruto's lifeless form. He turned away, unable to take it, and leaned against the wall right next to the door frame. He always knew it would come to this, but. . . he never wanted to believe it. Denial, that's how he dealt with Naruto's condition for years. Constantly he kept telling himself that it wasn't going to beat Naruto. The man was too stubborn. He was wrong. . . Sliding down the wall, his face fell into his hands as he cried.

Footsteps brought his head back up, and through his watery vision, he saw Itachi with an unconscious Sasuke slumped on his back coming up the stairs. Itachi stopped at the end of the hall, face emotionless as he stared straight ahead. Straight into the open doorway right next to him.

When Itachi moved again, he went to the bedroom door to his right. "Help me with Sasuke." Itachi ordered, his voice just as empty as his face.

Miki followed blindly, his legs moving automatically. He helped Itachi get Sasuke on the bed, and that's when he noticed his stricken features. Like the younger Uchiha already knew. . .

Itachi left the room and Miki followed more slowly, only catching Itachi's back as he entered the room with. . . with Naruto's body and closed the door. It wasn't a surprise Itachi would lock himself away. He's been watching over Naruto since the blond was five, almost twenty years, it had to be like losing his own brother. He had a right to lose his composure without any witnesses.

Miki stood there in a daze for a good twenty minutes, letting his tears fall freely, before he headed toward the stairs. He sat down by Ruri, neither saying a word. A thought of going home did cross his mind. He did need to inform Kyoko of Naruto's passing. He didn't move though, just continued to sit and let it all sink in. He wasn't sure if that was the best move, because the next thing he knew, he was bursting into fresh tears. So strong that it had his chest racking with sobs.

When he got some semblance of control over himself, he could barely collect himself. He glanced over at Ruri in embarrassment at his own outburst, but she still sat unmoving and silent. He was about to look away when he saw she was holding something covered in a blanket. Curious, he asked in a strained voice, "What's that you're holdin'?"

For a minute, he didn't think she was going to answer him, but then he heard her say in a flat tone, "Their child."

He honestly didn't think he heard her right. "What?"

For the first time since he rushed into the house, she moved, turning her head toward him with swollen eyes. Her lip quivered uncontrollably, but it didn't affect the words she spoke, "He was pregnant." She didn't say anymore, only turned to look down at the bundle in her arms. He could only do the same, so overwhelmed by the events, he couldn't grasp what she was saying. He leaned in closer as her hand began to remove the cloth covering it. Then his jaw went completely slack when he took in a three to four month old infant cocooned in a reddish-orange, chakra made womb.

His mind was blank for the longest time. When it finally did function again, he jumped up and yelled down the hall. "Itachi!"

There must have been something in his voice, because Itachi was right there in the next second. From there on only questions continued to pile on top of one another. And the only one who could find out the answers still hasn't moved from her spot on the stairs even after the two hours of discussing the subject of the baby. It wasn't until she sighed in the silence that settled between them, that she finally stood and said in the same flat tone as before, "I'm going to need my tools."

Miki tilted his head to look up at her, and the emptiness he saw caused fresh tears to brim his eyes. He didn't have to guess what she was about to do, and the thought made him sick. How she could still do it, he would never know. He watched with slight disgust as she turned and made her way down the hall to the one room he would never want to go in again.

The disgust didn't leave his face even as he faced Itachi, who now held the cocooned baby. "I can't be here for this. . . I just can't." He rubbed his moistened face and stood, heading to the front door. "I have to tell Kyoko."

"I'll inform the others." He heard Itachi say before he left.

When he got home to deliver the news to her, she knew something bad had happened the moment he walked in the front door by the way her smile fell so abruptly. There was no way he could hide it from his face, not with the tears that still ran from his eyes. All he had to say was Naruto's name and it had her collapsing to the floor with such agonizing sobs he's never heard come from her. It was the final blow that sent him spiraling down in despair. . .

He can honestly say that was the worst day of his life, and he's had some bad days before. He tried never to think of it, but it was almost impossible not to be reminded.

Pushing himself off the counter, he crossed the kitchen and pulled Kyoko into his arms. "Thought you knew I'm always careful." he said with a hint of arrogance.

Kyoko scoffed quite loudly, "Only in a way a dumbass is." She snuggled against his chest that had him unable to be offended. "Promise me, Miki. . ." she began out of the blue, "Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

_Too late_, was his first thought, because stupidity was a good word for what he was doing. It was too late though, there was no going back. Nothing could change the choices he made, nor fix the damage he's done. He's already dug his path, all he could do now was make sure he was the only one who walked down it. To make damn sure his family didn't follow. . .

So again, he lied. . . "I promise."

* * *

><p>A knock sounded from his office door, and before Itachi could grant entrance, the door opened with Gaara stepping in. This was nothing new, Gaara never waited. "You wanted the new members at sundown."<p>

The redhead's statement had him glancing over at the clock, only to see he was right. It was sundown. He's been so preoccupied with his thoughts on Ouroboros, he didn't even realize how much time had gone by. He sighed with unwillingness, but nodded in agreement nonetheless. Once Gaara stepped aside, the three new members walked in one after another, filing side-by-side in front of his desk. Gaara gave a curt nod before leaving.

He took a second to glance between the three. As expected, Kaito and Rei stood perfectly still with their eyes straight ahead while Ran shifted every other second and was looking all over the place. He never regrets a decision, although placing Ran on the team might have been more of a problem than he's worth. Another sigh left him, "You're here to receive your first mission as part of Akuma. This is your chance to prove. . ." He stopped speaking when Ran had the audacity to grab the picture of the original Akuma off his desk.

By the way Rei's eyes bulged and Kaito's kept glancing back and forth between them, he suspected the two thought he would do something. He wasn't like his brother though, he didn't go for the direct approach. So he merely sat back in his chair with as much patience as a rattlesnake and glared.

Apparently, Ran didn't take notice of the danger he was in, because he asked, "Who's the blond?"

"Tatsuo." came his clipped reply.

He found a small amount of amusement in how fast Kaito's and Rei's demeanor changed with that fact. Both pair of eyes went to the picture, their bodies leaning over as Ran angled the picture for them to get a better look.

"Tatsuo-sama and Takai-san look close." Rei said slightly hesitantly.

_At least she has some manners_, Itachi thought. "Yes, they've been best friends since very small." he said as he snatch the picture from Ran's hands and carefully place it back on his desk. At that moment, he sensed their temporary Captain approach his office door and enter without bothering to knock. He gave up being bothered by it years ago since it was common curtsey from Jun.

The twenty-two year old only made it to his shoulders in height with his orange-red hair still cut short and spiked partly to both sides. His outfit remained simple – black tank, olive green cargo pants, and combat boots with his large sword strapped to his back. Throughout the years, he's acquired only one distinguishing tattoo on his forearm, one of a seven-tailed mouse. "So these the newbies?" Jun asked as he arrogantly strolled up to his desk.

He nodded, "This is your Captain for this mission, Kajiwara Jun. Also known as Kijin in Akuma." He handed over a manilla folder filled with their profiles and the details of the mission to Jun.

"Him?" Ran questioned with disbelief. "He doesn't look older than my little sister."

Jun scowled and retorted, "Fuck you." His language not at all improved.

"For one –" Itachi interrupted before a fight could break out in his office. Not many could deal with Jun's attitude without physically striking out. "– you don't have any younger siblings. And two, Jun has more standing in Akuma than your fingernail."

The grin on Jun's face held the evilest of intentions. "Which is his way in sayin' you belong to me durin' the span of this mission."

Itachi shook his head, Jun was enjoying this way too much. Although, since joining Akuma six years ago, he's always enjoyed terrorizing the new members who've come after him. Maybe that's why, he smirks with sadistic satisfaction, he continuously chooses him to be the new members' first Captain. Weeds out the weak.

"Your mission is a standard one, escort a nobleman from point A to point B. You need to show that you can take orders and follow them successfully." He pointedly stared at Ran when he said that. Out of the three, he was the one he knew they were going to have problems with. If not with Sasuke, then his inability to fall in line. Still, he took that chance because of his unique ability. But if the man thought he was just going to get by on that, he was rudely mistaken. "This will be your time to prove that you have what it takes to be part of Akuma."

"And if we can't prove ourselves?" asked Kaito in his quiet tone.

"I never said that was an option." If it was possible, Kaito's face fell that much further. That's one thing that needs to be worked on, the boy's nerves. "You leave tomorrow, so rest up."

Ran stretched like a lazy cat. "Who needs rest, that mission'll be a walk in the park."

With that remark, Jun's face formed a look of disgust and moved to stand in front of the three. "First rule, never underestimate a mission. Even the simplest of missions can turn into the deadliest. If I hear anymore flippantly shit like that I'd be more than happy to knock you on your ass."

A cocky grin spread across Ran's features. "You can try." he challenged. And if anyone knew Jun like the veterans did, they would know that he took a challenge the same way Naruto did. That's why Itachi didn't make any attempt to stop Jun when he rammed his hand brutally against Ran's chest. He was sent flying across the room and hitting the wall before he could even react. The impact did dent and crack his wall, but the man did need to be put in his place. It was a necessary sacrifice.

Jun casually crossed the room with Kaito and Rei cautiously keeping him in their sight. At least they saw, even if it was only a small glimpse, that Jun was a part of Akuma for a reason. Jun knelt in front of Ran and sneered, "Listen fucker, I'm the last person who'll tolerate your lip." That was ironic, since everyone else had to tolerate his. "You're gonna learn –" He was cut off when Ran punched him, sending only his head jerking to the side while his body remained unmoved.

It was a foolish move. . . very foolish.

Itachi immediately saw the change in Jun's posture the second it happened. And when he reached for his sword, he warned, "Jun." He was not going to allow Jun to destroy his office. Not again. . .

Jun hesitated for a moment before he dropped his hand to his side and stood up. It was the most noticeable change in Jun over the years, he now actually listens to orders when one puts a certain tone in their voice. "This ain't over dipshit." Jun sneered just as a knock sounded from the door.

"Enter." Already sensing and recognizing the person's chakra. And with the way Jun's body tensed and shifted to where he stood between the entrance and Ran, he knew also before Cho even entered the room.

She stuck her head in first, her two pigtail buns bouncing. "Sorry, Itachi-san –" Only being so formal when new members were around. "– I just came to drop off the mission report."

He waved her in, and she gave a barely noticeable smile to Jun before heading to his desk. Her tan happi coat loosely covered her chest and barely showed the arm protectors that covered her arms. She wore mid-thigh shorts underneath the black skirt that slit up the outside of both thighs, and shinobi sandals that traveled up to her knees.

Jun kept his eyes on her, even when Ran opened his mouth and made a remark of, "What is this. . . preschool?" Which had Jun's foot kicking Ran right in the face without it so much as affecting his impassive features. He's been around him and Sasuke for far too long to be able to pull that off so effectively.

Itachi questioned him silently with a lifted eyebrow. Jun attempted to pull off an expression that held a small resemblance to innocence. Unfortunately, it fell short by a long shot. He never did master that art.

"Are these the new members?" Cho asked after she handed over the mission report.

"Hmn." he grunted, quickly scanning through the report for any significant information before placing it to the side to process later.

"I'm Niijima Cho, Nezumi in Akuma, it's nice to meet you all." she greeted pleasantly, which as Itachi glanced up, had Rei and Kaito visibly on edge. She then leaned closer to them like she was giving away a secret and whispered quite loudly, "I know Jun's a hard ass, but don't take it too personally. . . He's always like that."

"Am not!" Jun argued.

Cho turned with a wide smile on her face and stuck her tongue out at him. "Maybe you might have some nice moments here and there."

Jun's eyes rolled, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Whatever."

Itachi smirked, Jun was more whipped than when he was thirteen. It took Jun until they were both sixteen before he asked Cho out on a date. And that only occurred because Yuuto got tired of waiting for Jun to do it on his own and threatened he would ask her out himself. Jun didn't waste any time then, he asked her out the very next day. They dated for a year with their fair share of arguments – most of which Cho won – before a talk with Naruto had Jun proposing to her. With his attitude, he had to wonder why she accepted.

They had the wedding that year, due to Naruto's declining health. Although, he was still strong enough to walk Cho down the aisle and give a hearty threat when he handed her over to Jun. But he didn't need any sort of threat, they all knew how much Jun loved her. Even after five years of marriage, that fierce determination to make her happy was still there. It showed itself in the smallest of gestures. He may not display it for the world to see, but Jun would do anything for Cho.

"I need to speak with you two privately." He spoke to Jun and Cho, then focused on the new members. "You three step outside and do not wander. I will know if you do. Once I'm done here, Jun will show you where your new quarters are." That got a sour face out of Jun.

When only Rei and Kaito appeared to be moving while Ran remained sitting on the ground and rubbing his jaw, Jun snapped, "When you're superior orders you to get out, you get the fuck out!"

The scowl on Ran's face deepened, but otherwise he got up and existed the office without a word. He had to admit, that was slightly a surprise. Ran _always_ had something to say. It could only mean he was planning something else. Itachi pushed the thought to the side, that wasn't his problem anymore. For the next few days, it would be Jun's.

As soon as the room was once again secured with the silencing jutsu that activated when the door was closed, he said, "Cho. . . I want you to stay with Tsunade-sama until Jun returns from his mission."

"Why?" quickly came Jun's question. His tone easily telling him that if his answer wasn't to his liking, then hell itself would have to be opened for him to leave Cho's side.

"A precaution." he spoke casually.

"You found something on Ouroboros." Cho stated calmly.

After a moment of deliberating with himself, he found it best to tell the truth in the matter. "Yes. An empty facility was found that we suspect Ouroboros was using. We're investigating to see if any useful information might have been left behind." Alright, maybe he didn't tell the whole truth. But if Jun knew the facility was still active, he would purposely go behind his back and inform Sasuke. It was only because he held too much respect for his little brother to hide it from him.

"I thought you were stopping with the goose chases." He heard the suspicion in his voice.

He hated to be questioned, but Jun was no fool, he knew perfectly well how backhanded he could be. Anyone with a long history with him held that same knowledge. He didn't try to hide it, he was a conniving bastard.

So he went with a different strategy to get Jun off his trail. "I lied." And it wasn't often that he admitted that. Maybe that's why Jun and Cho looked so shocked. "Clues don't come up often, but when they do, I refuse to ignore them. If you have a problem with it, I'm not the person to bitch to." By the end, his tone was icy with a underlining warning that the discussion was over. Even Jun had gained enough sense not to try his patience. Albeit, it was all part of deterring him. "I expect you at Tsunade-sama's tomorrow." he said to Cho.

"Is that an order?" she asked, undeterred by his feigned mood.

"Yes."

Cho smiled and nodded in confirmation, "Alright then, I'll be there tomorrow." She turned and headed to the door, saying over her shoulder, "See you later, 'Tachi nii-chan. Be careful and come back safely."

Jun hesitated, still not looking happy. "Whatever you're doing, it just better not put her in danger." he said where Cho couldn't hear. "You know I'll kill you if it does."

Just like Sasuke was with Naruto, Jun was that protective of Cho. It's the reason why he merely nodded in acknowledgment of the threat without a thought of retaliating. There was no reason to, Jun was an honest and loyal man just as long as Cho wasn't put in the line of his schemes.

Jun stared for another second then followed after Cho, catching up to her before she made it to the door and pulled her into his arms. It was rare moments like these that made Itachi remember that Jun was human. When he was running his mouth, it was an easy thing to forget. They both shared a quick kiss before they separated and left.

Once the door was closed, Itachi leaned back in his chair and partly relaxed in the renewed silence. It was short lived, as he should have known it would be, when a knock and a loud growl of, "Just go in." came from the other side of the door. He stared at the door and waited. Two seconds later, the door burst open with Miki throwing over his shoulder at Ruri behind him, "See how just walkin' in works, even a proper bitch like you can comprehend." Miki got a hard smack to the back of his head for that one. He winced, rubbing his head and grumbling incoherently under his breath.

The sight of the two had a sense of anxious energy settle in Itachi's stomach. It was time. He stood, silencing Miki, and grabbed his mask as he walked around his desk to stand in front of them. "We can't waste time. We need to be back here before Sasuke realizes we're gone." A look crossed Miki's face, but otherwise kept his thoughts to himself. Ignoring it, he walked passed them to the door. "Let's go."

By tomorrow, he would have some clue to what the next step Ouroboros had planned.


	5. Fragmented Memories

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Five

**Fragmented Memories**

It was two hours after sundown and Sasuke had just finished putting the boys to bed. Since leaving the compound, there had been only one thought occupying his mind. Even as he picked up his boys from Tsunade's, kept them entertained until it was time for dinner, and finally put them to bed, he couldn't honestly say exactly what took place during that whole time. The scroll holding his lover's file had his mind wholly weighed down with what contents were held within. With what secrets that were being kept from him. . .

He made his rounds throughout the house, ensuring all the traps and jutsus were in place and maybe secretly delaying. To delay the indescribable pain that he knew would occur by reading through his lover's entire life. There was an inescapable need to know, but there was also that fear of falling so far he would lose that last strand of will to keep moving. It was precarious and weak at best. Once it broke. . . he had no idea if he could come back from it. Even if he would want to.

Upon knowing the house was secured, Sasuke went to his bedroom and locked himself in. Then he pulled out the scroll in his vest's pocket and unrolled it on his bed, biting his thumb and smearing blood across the scroll to unseal the file within it. He was hesitant in grabbing the file off the bed and bringing it with him as he sat on the floor.

A full minute passed of him just staring at the closed file, unable to take that first step. He sighed in frustration while running his hand through his hair. Dammit, he had to know. . . Steeling himself as best he could, he reached a trembling hand forward and opened the bulky folder before he could back out.

Like in Itachi's office, seeing the small picture of Naruto taped in the corner had him pausing. He could barely look at any picture of his blond without feeling the intense loss. He swallowed down the thick lump that formed, and proceeded to the next page. It was his birth certificate with several pages following detailing about Kyuubi's seal.

The next twenty to thirty pages were bounded together and written by hand in Itachi's handwriting. They told of what happened to Naruto after the Kyuubi attack until he was five years old, where Itachi was assigned to be his bodyguard. He felt disgust swell in his stomach as he read through the pages. There were so many attempts taken on Naruto's life at such a young age. He couldn't even imagine how they could be so cruel to just a mere child. He remembered hearing some of the villagers say the blond was a monster, but that was far from the truth. They were the real monsters. To torture a child, who wouldn't be?

Naruto's life, he knew it wasn't easy. He was told about the neglect, the poisonings, and the beatings, but he never knew how far it went. How close to death Naruto came with one particular beating. Naruto would never go into detail, he would always say, 'It wasn't that bad.' and then distract him from the subject. _Wasn't that bad. . ._ He was a liar.

A picture fell out of the bounded pages and fell to the floor. He picked it up and stared at the five year old Naruto and his brother when he was eleven. Naruto was smiling broadly as he hugged Itachi's leg and his brother stood by the boy's side with a hand placed on his head and small, barely noticeable smile tugging at his lips. There was a small tinge of jealousy that Itachi knew Naruto first, but it quickly faded. If it wasn't for Itachi, there was a chance that Naruto might have ended up dead before he even entered the academy.

He placed the picture to the side, wishing to keep it with the other pictures he had packed away. Flipping through another chunk, he found they were mostly mission reports. Actually, the majority of the next few hundred pages were copies of the mission reports during the two years Itachi watched over Naruto. He skimmed through the pages, taking the time to read the personal ones Itachi wrote himself.

Catching the sight of another picture, he grabbed it by the corner and pulled it out. It was a class picture, taken the first week upon entering the Academy. They were both standing on the second tier, side by side, and wearing the stupidest grins out of them all. They looked like idiots. . .

A tear slid down his cheek, he ignored it as he pulled out another picture. A mixture of a chuckle and a sob escaped him at the image before him. It was of him and Naruto, both being seven years old, smiling for the camera with mud covering them from head to toe. They had just finished a wrestling match in the playground after a hard rain, and once they went back inside they were yelled at by Iruka for almost thirty minutes. When their sensei had finally calmed down, he laughed and insisted on taking a snapshot.

He remembered being so thrilled at getting the blond's attention. And in his young mind, he confused accidentally knocking Naruto down and then the blond particularly tackling him for it being a good way to get his attention. It was the start of his bastardy ways.

He skipped to the reports closer to the end of Itachi's two year watch and read through the mission reports. Unlike what his brother told him about their clan's many attempts on Naruto's life, none were written in the official reports. The only records of them were the ones written personally by Itachi himself. The revolting accounts of his own family. . .

No. . . they weren't family.

Even if he didn't know it then, they stopped being family the second they put a kill order out for his dobe.

Reading through the massacre from his brother's point-of-view, he found a cold detachment for the kin Itachi slaughtered. Only his mother's death had him saying a silent prayer for her. If he cared, it would have been strange how unaffected he currently was by his clan's massacre. He remembered how it was - how easily the thought of their deaths would infuriate him with the pain of their loss. But now. . . now he assumes there was no more space for it anymore.

Sasuke flipped through the next three years, stopping at a particular picture he didn't remember being taken. It was of the whole Academy playground and the students were having their recess. He recognized himself sitting at the base of a tree alone, his back turned away from the rest and his focus beyond the fence. Naruto was also alone on the swing-set a couple yards away, and staring straight at his back. The photo was different from the previous ones, it was like no one was aware a picture was being taken.

And that's when it hit him. . . Ouroboros.

It startled and horrified him all at once that Ouroboros were following his dobe so early on. Naruto couldn't have been more than nine years old at the time, so innocent, and they probably already had their sinister plans mapped out for him even before then. That every step he took, those sick bastards already had the next two steps thought out. He had to wonder if he even had a chance to save his dobe if they followed so closely to their made path.

On impulse, he ripped the picture that Ouroboros made, then rummaged through the file to find more of their pictures to destroy. To destroy the proof of that group's atrocities. He was about to rip yet another picture when he caught sight of what was captured. . .

"_Well. . . I don't really know exactly when I started to like you." Naruto admitted sheepishly. "But I remember when I finally realized."_

_The blond fell silent, his gaze turning to look down from the tree branch they were both currently sitting on. Then he turned to him, a silent question darkening his normally bright blue eyes – Do you want to know? Sasuke answered just as silently with just a mere look._

"_I was ten and I just got back to my apartment after we just got done fighting it out in the classroom." Naruto chuckled, and his stomach fluttered at the sound of it. "God, Iruka-sensei was so pissed about that. We tore that classroom apart! Remember that?" He smirked at the memory and nodded, which had Naruto grinning widely. "Anyway, I was stomping around in my apartment and cursing your name to the bottomless pits of Hell." That earned the blond a look that was ignored. "But then after a half hour of doing this, I finally realized something. . . I wasn't even angry at you."_

_Naruto stared at him for a long moment, a serious and contemplating expression on his face, before he diverted his eyes once again. "That had me confused and made me begin to wonder. For over an hour, I was thinking over what you were to me. Rival was a given. . . then friend. . . but there was something else – something I couldn't identify. And when I didn't know something back then, I went to go visit Iruka-sensei."_

_He shifted slightly in his spot, a nervous gesture, and continued, "We talked for a while. . . He asked me to describe what I felt when I was around this person, because of course I didn't tell him who it was. And by the time I was finished, he told me that I was suffering from my first crush."_

The memory rushed through his mind like a tidal wave, leaving him breathless and gasping for air. He stared down at the picture he dropped while he remembered that conversation during the Chuunin Exams. It held a scene of their fight in Iruka's classroom. The time when Naruto finally realized he held similar feelings for him as he did for the blond.

For a long while, he stared at the picture and found he couldn't rip it to pieces. Even if it belonged to Ouroboros, it held a precious memory he never wanted to forget.

Somewhat reluctantly, he placed the picture in the growing pile. Then he backtracked from his haste in finding pictures made by Ouroboros and read through and examined jutsu diagrams until Naruto became a Genin of Team Seven. That's where he found a worn and battered picture of when Team Seven was first formed. The same one that was given to the rest of the team also.

Naruto told him years ago that this picture was all he had to look at after being banned from Konoha. At the time, he made a smartass comment that he could have had the real thing to look at if he actually used his brain. But even then, with the condition of the picture, it warmed his heart at how obvious it was to the amount of times Naruto had took it out and looked at it. It barely held together with the creases, but still it remained whole. Almost like them. . .

Gently, he placed the picture between two other pictures in his keep pile before moving forward in his dobe's life. He read through the Wave mission, in which he was slightly perturbed that Itachi was apparently nearby watching the whole events.

Before he knew it, he was holding a stack of papers that held the record of Naruto's banning from Konoha. And no matter how much time that had passed, the reminder of that period of his life still stung. Stung so deep, because over and over he seemed to always fail in protecting his dobe. Why couldn't he ever be _strong_ _enough_ to keep a firm hold on his everything? Why did he always let him slip away. . . ?

His mind delved into the darkest parts of himself. The parts that were corrupted with despair and decaying from grief. The ones he hid with every ounce of will he possessed. He fell into that darkness, the pure blackness, and was overcome with a wave of unadulterated sorrow that he runs from constantly every single day.

The papers fell from his hands as his face dropped into them. He didn't try to suppress the broken sobs that racked through his entire body nor did he wipe away the tears that fell. He was just so lost . . . always sinking, always unable to find a single footing . . . and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep struggling. It was times like these – when he was broken open and drowning in the pieces of himself – that he even wonders why he does.

Yet, he wasn't too far gone to not realize when the atmosphere suddenly shifted and when he found himself being encompassed by Naruto's warm presence. Calloused hands ran smoothly through his hair in the same way when he would get so overwhelmed with worry about the blond's condition that he would lean his forehead against Naruto's chest and reassure himself by listening to his heart beat. It had him choking at the familiar gesture of comfort. He collapsed against the blond's chest and wrapped his arms around his waist, seeking out the sound of his heart beat.

The steady rhythm was enough to snap that very small strand of control he had left. He cried into the blond's chest, desperately clinging to the very lifeline he's depended on for most of his life. Hands continued to gently run through his hair in a soothing manner. There simple motions soon calmed him back down. . . only for his anger to rise rapidly instead.

He shoved Naruto away from him and felt his Sharingan activate as he glared at him. "You knew, didn't you?" he growled out.

Naruto didn't seem bothered by his sudden change of emotion as he positioned himself so he was sitting crossed legged. When those blue eyes settled on him with such sadness, guilt twisted at his stomach for his outburst. "That I was going to die?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper. A look was enough to have him answering, "Yes."

That was a hard truth to learn. For three years he suspected, but having those suspicions confirmed was like a punch in the face. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"There was nothing you could do." He was ready to open his mouth to argue, but Naruto cut him off. "And you know it. No matter what, I was going to die. It was just a matter of time. The only difference was; I knew when my time was up."

"You should have told me. Maybe it would have –"

"What?" Naruto interrupted again. "Made it easier? Do you honestly think it would've made it any easier? To anticipate my death each second of every day –"

"Like I hadn't already been doing it for months!" Sasuke yelled out in a mixture of anger and grief. He was on his feet the next second and pacing back and forth across the floor. "You think I wasn't waiting for the day I would come in our room and find you dead! It haunted my every moment, crippling me with how much it terrified me to lose you!"

Naruto closed his eyes and dropped his head. This only infuriating Sasuke more. He stalked forward, and yanked the blond's head back up by his hair. "You fucking look at me." he sneered before he saw the tears falling from blue eyes. It didn't stop him though. The anger was too prominent – too out of control. Even when he realized he was crying himself. "You look at what you caused. You made yet another choice for me, and _this_ is what it's done. You forced me to leave and you turned my worst nightmare into reality! You did! Why do you always want to destroy everything?"

"Because I'm no good. . . never have been. . ." came the quiet response. "You would've been better off if you never met me."

His fist punched Naruto in the jaw before he even realized he pulled his arm back. Naruto's head barely moved with the tight hold he had on his hair. He was ready to punch him again, but froze at the sight of his dobe just as lost as he was. Just as quickly as the anger burned hotly through his veins, it dissipated. He lost all his strength, releasing his hold on the blond's hair and allowing his forehead to rest on his shoulder. "I never regretted it." he spoke softly. "Even now, I never regretted meeting you."

"But you're always the one that suffers." Naruto whispered in a strained voice.

"You don't suffer?" Sasuke asked, bringing his head up to look at him. Those blue orbs were as open as when they were alive, easily giving him his answer. It was instinct for him to lean forward, eliminating the short distance between them.

Fear ignited like a bonfire in his eyes, and before he knew it, Naruto was on the other side of the room. "No, Sasuke. We can't keep doing that. It will only make things ten times worse."

Sasuke just sat there, the silence stretching uncomfortably as he tried to differentiate the cause for the pain in his chest. Being unable to decide, he averted his gaze away from the blond and it landed on the forgotten papers and pictures scattered on the floor. He picked up a picture of him holding a sleeping five month old Aki that he remembered being taken by Itachi. "Why did you get pregnant?" he asked almost hollowly.

He heard Naruto move, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw him slide down the wall and sit on the floor. It was back to this. . . to the distance he always kept. "To give you the last thing you always wanted."

Turning his head to Naruto, he opened his mouth to dispute the statement, but found he couldn't. Honestly, he did always want a child of his own – mainly with Naruto – but knew that chance was taken away from him. And like fate so cruelly seemed to turn for him – In order to have one, he had to give up the other. It was unfair, but when has the world ever been fair to him?

"You're not really here to ease my suffering." Sasuke stated coldly, closing himself off from the one who could send him crashing the rest of the way down to where there would be no coming back from. "Why do you keep haunting me?"

Naruto chuckled lowly with little humor. "Haunting. . . I like that." he muttered. "But no. . . I'm not really _haunting_ you. I've always been here." That immediately caught Sasuke's attention, and with the way Naruto smiled softly, the blond knew it would. "That's right Sasuke, when I said 'I'll always be here,' I wasn't lying. You should've known I always keep my word."

He wasn't sure if he should be reassured by that fact or completely pissed off by it, because all that time he's been there and he chooses now to show himself. Damn. . . that sounded familiar. He sighed and shook his head. It was happening all over again, the lies and the betrayal. Even after all this time, after everything that had happened, Naruto still hadn't learned a damn thing. He still kept things from him. . . things that would hurt him the most.

His eyes burned from his Sharingan re-activating, the only sign of the chosen anger searing just beneath the surface. But like anything else between them, Naruto noticed the change, causing his smile to fall and the knowing spark to enter his eyes. Naruto opened his mouth, but Sasuke cut him off before he could say a word. "What is it this time?" he sneered, becoming restless and getting up to pace back and forth. "Obviously, Konoha's not in trouble. Nor do you owe a debt to any Hokage. Maybe it could be Ouroboros, who apparently been on the move for years, that finally has you making your fucking ass known."

When only silence met him, he stalked over to Naruto, yanked him up from the floor, and trapped him against the wall with his body. "Why? After all these years, why now?"

Fear showed like a beacon in those blue eyes as Naruto's head shook. And for a second Sasuke's stomach twisted at the thought that his actions were the cause of it. "You're suppose to figure it out on your own, Sasuke. I don't want to be the one to show you."

"Show me what?" Naruto only stared back at him, silently pleading with him, but he wouldn't give in. Not this time. He gripped his shoulders tighter, asking in a more demanding tone, "Show me what?"

Naruto's body sagged in his hold, his head leaning back against the wall while his eyes closed. Like he was resigning himself. . . "What's at the end of my file." came the quiet reply.

Sasuke glanced back at the mess on the floor, knowing full well now that his determination to know wasn't enough for him to continue on through his dobe's life and get through the rest of the file. He should have known it was never going to be enough. But as he turned back to face Naruto, his mind was already made up to get the truth no matter the consequences. There was no more running. . . no more hiding. . . Not when Ouroboros was involved.

"Show me." he told Naruto, who looked at him with those soulful eyes filled with such distress.

"Sasuke, please." he pleaded. "I don't want to show you."

"You're the one who said my time's running out. We both know I'm not getting through that file. This is the easiest way."

So many emotions passed over the blond's features before they settled into a flat expression. His tone was even when he muttered, "Fine." Then his bedroom suddenly melted away into the Yuugure Cemetery.

His heart raced when he was faced with the familiar surroundings. Even the darkness of night couldn't hide the two trees and the various tombstones he recognized as being around his daughter's grave. Now also around _his_ grave. The one grave he had never come to visit. Not once since he died has he ever stepped foot back on the cemetery's grounds. No matter how Itachi tried, he was honestly too terrified to look upon the solid proof that his dobe was truly gone.

That fear still remained as strongly as the day he could comprehend Itachi asking him if he wanted to visit Naruto's grave. It had him shaking and made it so hard to breath. The touch of Naruto's hand on his shoulder made him realize he wasn't alone. "Turn around, Sasuke."

He didn't want to. But the hand on his shoulder coax him into facing the one truth he would have gladly lived without. A sharp pain sliced through his chest at the sleeping fox statue curled up above the stone slate. _'Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto,'_ it read on the stone slate along with the dates of his birth and death. The pain burned through his chest and throbbed with every beat of his broken heart. And the longer he stared at the grave, the worse it got. Like his body knew that being alive was wrong when his Abikaasa was dead. . .

A tear slid down his cheek, knowing it was wrong. He shouldn't be alive when Naruto was gone. It wasn't _right_. And every instinct he had screamed at him so every single second of every single day. Those screams only heightened as he stood there, barely holding onto himself. Then warmth spread throughout his body and soothed the screams to mere whispers when he felt Naruto take a hold of his hand and stand next to him.

"You never came here." Naruto said without any accusation.

"I couldn't."

"I know. . . That's why you never knew."

Sasuke turned to Naruto to question him about that statement, but movement to his left caught his attention. He jerked his head in that direction just as four men walked onto the scene. One man he recognized immediately, _Sohma! _His blood raced, thundering in his ears with the intensity of his rage. It was blinding, bringing out the feral bloodlust that wanted to tear the man apart with his bare hands. His desire for blood had him taking a threatening step forward, ready to attack.

The rough tug on his arm that prevented him from proceeding forward caused his instincts to react. His other arm swung around, stopping a mere inch from punching Naruto square in the face. It was almost instant that the sight of the blond calmed enough of his anger where it wasn't all consuming, and remorse filtered through as he lowered his arm back to his side without removing his eyes from the other.

"Remember, this is all in your head." Naruto told him, "I'm just showing you what's all ready happened." Which didn't make it much better. It was then that Naruto raised his hand and ran it through his hair, like he knew what he was thinking. And for all Sasuke knew, he did. "You asked for this, Sasuke. You think seeing him is bad, it's only going to get worse. Are you sure this is the way you want to find out?" There was so much hope staring back at him, hope that he'd call this off, that he had to close his eyes and turn away to stop himself from succumbing to that look in the same way he's done so many times in the past.

He went back to the scene playing out in front of him without saying a word to Naruto, clearly showing his answer. The anger still burned hot beneath his skin as he felt the penetrating gaze on the side of his face, but nothing else was said. His Sharingan memorized the faces of the other three men for future execution before he took notice of the shovels in each of their hands. It didn't take much to connect the very blatant dots, and he snapped his attention back to Naruto with unhindered panic.

"No." he demanded, willing his denial to be real. But the look he was receiving from Naruto told of the cruel truth he wasn't ready to accept. His head continued to shake, "No, no, no, no. . ."

"You know what we came here for boys. . ." came the disgusting sound of Sohma's voice, freezing him. It was the same as he remembered, filled with that sickly sweet tone that didn't hide an ounce of the malicious undertones. ". . . dig him up."

He didn't dare look as the sounds of shovels digging in the dirt reached his ears. _They're digging up Naruto. . . They're. . . _It was too much. He collapsed on his knees and dry-heaved. It was only seconds later when a hand caressed the length of his back in a soothing manner. And it took him a moment after the heaving subsided to realize that the limb belonged to Naruto.

"I told you it was only going to get worse." Naruto whispered in a strained voice.

Although Sasuke didn't expect something like that. He should have though. Ouroboros was capable of many depravities, this really shouldn't have surprised him in the least. Yet, for some reason, it never crossed his mind how much further they would go to fulfill their plans with the Jinchuurikis. Especially when most of them were already dead. Which now left him with a disturbing question: Why would they want Naruto's body if they needed the Jinchuuriki alive to control the Bijuu's powers?

A part of him wasn't sure if he wanted to know, but the part that was fueled by his instincts were snarling at the thought of those mangy animals with his dobe. And that's all he needed for his pain to be overshadowed by his instinctual desire to protect the one person who was born to be solely his. Now there was no turning back from what's to come, even if he had wanted to, his genetic make-up wouldn't allow him to anymore.

He wiped away the saliva that had slipped from his mouth and shakily lifted his head, only to find the men were gone and Naruto's grave just as it was. But there was something different, he could feel it. Unlike when he first laid eyes on the grave, there were no screams threatening to rip the very seams of himself apart.

"You can feel it, can't you?" Naruto asked, causing him to turn to face him. "What's not there."

There was no need to ask what the blond was talking about, because he already knew the answer. He could feel the lack of Naruto's body there, because he was his other half – his Abikaasa. He had felt it earlier, that tiny bit of Naruto's essence that was left behind. It was just enough where his senses picked up on it and alerted him that his Abikaasa was close. It was just enough to know there was nothing there now. . .

"What do they want with you?" There was no past tense, not when the likelihood of Ouroboros still having his dobe's body was high. Not when every sign told him that something big was occurring and it all somehow revolved around Naruto.

Naruto didn't even appear to make an attempt to answer him, which made him think he did it on purpose when footsteps sounded behind him, automatically catching his attention. Itachi, Gaara, Ruri, and Miki were approaching in normal attire, Itachi's demeanor of one with fierce determination.

"Why the hell did you call us here?" demanded Miki once the four were in front of Naruto's grave. His body was tense and fidgeting from foot to foot, appearing ready to leave at any second, while his eyes looked at everything but at Naruto's grave.

It was only a second that Itachi stared down at the grave before the Sharingan blazed furiously in his brother's eyes. "Just as I thought." he sneered.

Only Ruri and Miki turned to Itachi, the latter asking with irritation, "Care to share with the class here?"

"He's gone." Gaara was the one who said tersely, his eyes narrowed dangerously and his own killing intent blending in with the killing intent radiating off of Itachi in waves.

"Gone?" Miki squeaked.

"_They_ took his body." snapped Itachi, moving back and forth in an angry pace.

Ruri gasped and covered her mouth with her hand while Miki's mouth hung open shamelessly. "H-H-How. . ."

"I put a motion sensor jutsu all around his body and casket." Itachi cut Miki off before he could finish. "It was the only way I could be sure if he was ever moved or not."

A moment of shocked silence followed. One in which Sasuke took the time to fully comprehend that his brother knew all along about Ouroboros taking his dobe. They all knew. . . Again, he got that sense of it all repeating itself. In the same way as before, he was the one who was being left in the dark. The one who they didn't deem _important_ enough to inform of Ouroboros activities. He was in that same position. . . Well, no more.

There were three things they should have all known never to cross him on. And that was anything that involved Naruto and his two sons. Those three were the trigger to the unyielding protectiveness he held solely for his most important people. The part that would do _anything_ to keep them safe. Even go against the very team who made him part of their family.

He stood just as realization appeared to have snapped Miki out of his stupor. "You knew." the man accused, stalking up to Itachi and grabbing the front of his black shirt. "You knew Ouroboros –"

"Enough." snapped Sasuke, his voice alone causing the whole scene to melt back into his bedroom. It was through his Sharingan that he watched Naruto move from his side to stand five feet in front of him, arms folded over his chest and staring back at him with an even expression. Even though, like always, those sapphire orbs betrayed the _worry, dread, pain_ he was attempting to hide. The small trembling running through his folded arms didn't even go unnoticed. It was clear as day that it wasn't over. "There's more, isn't there?" There's always more. . .

A moment passed before Naruto's calm facade crumbled into the fit of emotions overtaking and corrupting his features. His head lowered, staring down at the wooden floor. "There's just one more thing. . ." came the whispered reply that barely held any sound.

Sasuke held his instincts at bay, balling his fists tightly by his sides to keep himself from closing the distance between them and comforting the other. He couldn't forget and fall back into the years prior, where Naruto was alive and, unknowing to anyone else, he was the doting lover. Because he had to remember what Naruto said earlier, '_This is all in your head._' In reality, Naruto was still dead. In reality. . . once all this was over. . . he'd still be alone.

When nothing more was said, just a level stare, it apparently was enough of an answer for Naruto, since his eyes closed and he sighed. Then the room began to melt away again, but unlike previously, Naruto did also.

The swelling panic had him taking a step forward in an attempt to get a hold on him, but his dobe was gone before he could even touch him. He stood there in pure darkness, turning and glancing all around for Naruto. The panic flowing through him warped and twisted into something far more vicious when there was nothing but the same bleakness that mirrored his own soul. It tore through him until he wanted to scream out. But just before he was ready to succumb to the agony, a light from above illuminated the darkness.

The light calmed him where his breathing receded from the point of hyperventilating and the shaking in his body lowered to a small tremor. A room the size of a cathedral formed with walls made of stone. Unlit torches lined the complete length of both sides. No windows to be seen. There was a set of heavy looking, wooden doors in front of him while – as he looked up – the light streaming in the room was coming from three enormous holes in the ceiling that let the sun from the outside in.

As he brought his stare back down, engravings on the floor caught his eye. And that's when he realized he was standing in the middle of a vast sigil. The diameter spanned almost half the room, the symbols and scriptures forming a grand design.

He counted nine circles encircling him, and as he approached one, the sound of his footsteps echoed throughout the open, empty space. A five-tailed monkey was pictured in the circle. _Gobi_, he thought before taking a glance to the circle to its left, which held a picture of a four-tailed bear in its boundaries. _Yonbi_. Moving clockwise, he followed the circle until it led him to the nine-tailed fox – _Kyuubi_. He knelt down and traced his fingers over the engravings of the fox, a symbol that all but represented his dobe. He was suddenly jerked out of his trance by the banging of the double doors flying open and hitting the walls, a kunai in hand before the figures entering even came into focus.

Five men walked in first, easily recognizing Sohma in the lead, and then three masked figures walked in after them. A sudden sharp pain sliced through his chest before it just as abruptly dulled into that familiar pull he had always felt every time his Abikaasa was near. His stare remained fixed on the three masked figures like there was no turning away. He completely disregarded the five men altogether as he stood and made his way to the three now standing side by side like trained Anbu members only twelve feet within the room, just out of reach by the sunlight from the open ceiling.

Once close enough, he could make out the Cat, Monkey, and Fox masks they were wearing. His insides sieged at the sight of the Fox mask, only one person dared to ever use that particular animal. He stepped close, finding the height was just right, but with every inch of skin and hair covered by leather or armor, there was no way he could find any disguising characteristics. It couldn't be him though, it just couldn't. . . but every instinct was telling him otherwise. That same instinct he's relied on for most of his life was now telling him that the one person he thought dead was actually. . . not.

"I'm still dead." came Naruto's voice from behind him, confirming his suspicions. "That shell standing there doesn't change that."

The scene began to melt again back into his bedroom, still Sasuke didn't move. To numb to react. He remained staring at the now empty space until Naruto stepped around him and stood in front of him, clearing his mind just enough. "It changes everything." he finally said, finding the crushing weight that fell back on his chest that much heavier – that much more suffocating.

He's done nothing but fail Naruto. Over and over terrible things have been done to his blond and he's been unable to prevent any of them. Even in death, he failed to protect his dobe. . .

His face was grabbed, bringing him back to the present where Naruto was forcing him into staring down at him. "Sasuke, look at me." Naruto demanded, desperation clearly in his voice and displaying across his face. "You have to understand, there's _nothing_ left of me in there. _Nothing_."

For once Sasuke didn't react, he merely leaned in close next to Naruto's ear and whispered, "It doesn't matter. . . It's still you."


	6. Falling Apart

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!) **

**NOTE: **Hello readers, I know it's been like four months and I'm so sorry for such a late update. But here's another chapter! Enjoy!

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Six

**Falling Apart**

Sasuke's face was grabbed, bringing him back to the present where Naruto was forcing him into staring down at him. "Sasuke, look at me." Naruto demanded, desperation clearly in his voice and displaying across his face. "You have to understand, there's _nothing_ left of me in there. _Nothing_."

For once Sasuke didn't react, he merely leaned in close next to Naruto's ear and whispered, "It doesn't matter. . . It's still you." It was then he gathered chakra and sent a sudden wave out, violently jerking himself out the dream and away from the devastation on his lover's face.

He was back on the floor in front of the mess that consisted of Naruto's file – of his life. He didn't waste time, he shifted through the papers to the back of the file, searching for the information he was shown. The evidence began with a handwritten letter by Itachi, documenting what occurred at the cemetery. It was followed by more handwritten letters in a script he was unfamiliar with. But after reading through the first one, he learned that it was Jiraiya who wrote them.

According to the individual letters, Jiraiya was tracking Ouroboros and was on the verge of finding them before the letters just stopped. Was that the reason why he was killed? Did he witness a resurrected Jinchuuriki that Ouroboros wanted to keep secret? At this point though, it didn't really matter to him anymore. None of them mattered anymore. Not after this. His trust in them – even if it was just a little – was gone.

It was the next few pages that forced what he saw to sink in fully and have him understand the true level of betrayal that's been occurring right behind his back. Not only were they keeping information to themselves involving his dobe, but it was also clear they had every intention of ridding themselves of the problem in one way or another. Possibly ridding him of his only chance at getting Naruto back. . .

The new information had him moving, his protective instincts bristling and making him anxious to take action. Although he wasn't blind enough not to notice the early morning light flooding through his window, indicating that more time passed with Naruto than what it felt like. He was quick to disregard it and head to the boy's room. When they weren't there, he went downstairs, finding Kyosuke entertaining Aki with a game of rock, paper, scissors.

"Morning, Tou-san." Kyosuke was the first to greet.

Aki turned then and smiled, jumping to his feet and running to hug his legs. "Tou-san, you're up."

He picked Aki up and balanced him on his hip while saying to Kyosuke, "Come on, I'm taking the two of you to Tsunade-sama's."

"We were just there _all day_ yesterday." Kyosuke said with that same tone that told Sasuke his son was ready to argue every step of the way to Tsunade's. He had no patience to hear it.

"Not today, Kyosuke." Using his own tone that Kyosuke knew not to argue with. "Now get your shoes on and lets go."

"Can't even get changed." Sasuke heard Kyosuke mutter, indicating the pajamas that both Kyosuke and Aki still wore, but he chose to ignore the comment and head to the front door. He held the door open for his eldest, who took his time getting on his shoes and then particularly stomped himself outside with his arms crossed stubbornly and a sour expression so similar to Naruto's when he was that age.

"Can Aniki teach me more on throwing kunai?" Aki asked as he followed behind his petulant son.

"If he wants to." he said distractedly.

Aki cheered while Kyosuke sighed dramatically. Sasuke placed his hand behind Kyosuke's neck so to keep him close in the growing morning bustle and as a warning not to upset his brother. He would rather have Aki looking forward to spending time at Tsunade's than have him not wanting to be there like usual. He was in too much of a hurry and too tightly wound that he didn't think his limited patience could tolerate the time it would take to coax his youngest into staying with the former Hokage.

Unlike yesterday, the streets were full with villagers, causing it to take longer than he would have liked to get to Tsunade's. He knocked on her door hastily before extracting Aki's face and arms from his neck and putting him down without much of a fight from him. If his mind wasn't already preoccupied he would have been surprised, shocked even, but right then he just wanted Tsunade to hurry up and answer the damn door. And like she was reading his thoughts, the door opened.

There was a quick glance between Sasuke and his boys' pajama-clad state before she asked, "What happened?"

"Nothing." he said curtly. "I just need you to watch them for a little bit."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he paid little mind as Aki averted her attention from him by jumping up and down and saying joyously, "Aniki's going to teach me more on becoming a great shinobi, Baa-chan!"

Tsunade's face softened and he took his chance while she was distracted. He turned, ready to leave. But before he did, he ruffled Kyosuke's hair regardless of his disgruntle groan and his halfhearted attempt to swat his hand away. As he walked back down the stone path he heard Aki's loud farewell, "Bye, Tou-san!"

He glanced back and gave a small affectionate smile when he took in the bright blue eyes and huge smile. So similar to his birth father's that it had his insides cringing. Even now, knowing what he knew, it still didn't lessen the anguish that burned through blood and tissue. It made that small minute of calm with his Abikaasa so far away – hardly obtainable. But there was hope, as small and as unbelievable as it may be, it was there, blossoming into a spark of life.

And along with that hope, a new determination was born. One that had him speeding toward the underground compound with every intention of confronting his brother and all those willing to extinguish that light. He won't allow it.

At any cost. . . he'll protect the last of his lover.

* * *

><p>With his Sharingan activated, Itachi stared down at the two guards positioned at the entrance to the facility they suspected Ouroboros to be using. He was crouched high up on a tree branch, hidden by the natural coverage of the foliage. To his right, Miki and Ruri were both on another branch waiting for his go ahead.<p>

"What the hell are we waiting for?" he heard Miki whisper to Ruri, who shushed him for the fourth time.

For the past two hours he's been staring at those two guards. There was just something peculiar about them. Something that had his instincts warning him to be wary. For instance, every ten minutes on the second, the guard on the left would reach over and scratch his arm while the guard on the right would place his foot two inches forward then back every other fifteen minutes. It was so subtle that it would be completely undetectable to some of the best shinobi, but it was a sequence that was unnatural.

He could only deduce that it was a trap. He sighed, calculating in his head how many that made now – five. . . six? He wasn't surprised, although he had to wonder why. Why now? It's been years since they had a decent lead on Ouroboros that led to anywhere specific. What game were they playing now? Because that's all it was to Ouroboros, maneuvering them like game pieces on a board to their liking. And unfortunately, they were exceptionally good at doing it.

So there was a reason why this location was picked and why it was given up to them now. They were putting something in motion. And if it directly involved Akuma or not, he had no idea. It infuriated him, that step – possibly two or three – he was behind Ouroboros. No matter what he did he couldn't anticipate their moves like Ouroboros could predict theirs to an almost 90% accuracy.

"It's a trap." he suddenly stated to his two team members, who turned and stared at him.

"A trap?" Ruri repeated, shock evident in her voice.

"Bullshit." Miki cursed, not out of disbelief in his abilities but it sounded more like out of astonishment that the whole scenario appeared so real. Real enough to fool them. Which again caused Itachi to question why. Why would they put so much effort into a false lead?

"I believe the two guards are merely Fukai-Kage Bunshins."

A sharp intake of breath came from Ruri. "Fukai-Kage Bunshins. . . but those are. . ."

"Naruto's." he confirmed her suspicions, uneasy that they were so blatantly using one of Naruto's trademark jutsus. They were clearly taunting them with the power they had their hands on. Yet, he knew, everything was divulged for a reason. Was Ouroboros ready to make their move after all this time? "You know how to dispel them." He might as well play their game momentarily and see what's inside. "You two have the right one and I'll take the left."

With that he jumped off the branch and headed for his self-designated target. It took only seconds before both guards were dispelled by delivering a hard blow to the back of their necks. Afterward they stood side by side in front of the closed double doors.

Itachi was oddly hesitant to enter as Miki and Ruri each opened a door to reveal the pitch black corridor inside. A sinister stench blew up his nose and he refrained from taking a step back when it sent his instincts on red alert. There was something wrong here. Something terribly wrong. . .

"Do we really want to go in there?" Miki questioned, apparently sensing the same ominous atmosphere.

Without giving a verbal answer, Itachi actually had to force his feet forward and enter the facility.

"Guess so." came Miki's murmur from behind him. Then a heavy sigh followed before the doors creaked and closed with a thunderous thud, descending them in complete darkness. . .

* * *

><p>Gaara walked steadily down the hallway with Jun by his side and the three new members behind them. It's become second nature from when he was traveling with both Miki and Kyoko to block out Ran's constant ramblings and Jun's occasional curt remarks; his attempts to shut the other man up. Nothing but a good aimed punch would keep him quiet. And that would only be a temporary bout of relief.<p>

They turned onto the main hallway that would take them to Level Four's exit door. It was in that split second that his sand rose rapidly and surrounded them in a shell, taking the full impact of the fiery surge that unexpectedly came barreling toward them. The flames were resilient, slipping through the cracks between his sand and the wall and bursting out the back in two blazing streams.

"Holy shit!" came Ran's rather loud exclamation. "There's fire!"

It took all of Gaara's concentration to sustain the wall against the brutal force of the flames. The intensity not weakening, but only strengthening to white hot. Their was only one clan who could accomplish this level of use of fire. The Uchiha clan. _So. . . it's finally started._

He wasn't foolish to believe this moment would never come. There were only so many choices one could make before the consequences of those choices catches up. And being on the end of Uchiha Sasuke's rage was a consequence they all expected. . . and would all suffer from. Maybe it was a mistake to put oneself at odds with the younger Uchiha. Yet, it was too late for those types of regrets. He put himself in this situation, now he would just have to find a way to survive it.

"Why is Sasuke-sempai attacking us?" Jun questioned in a way that indicated he wasn't talking to anyone but himself.

"Jun." Gaara spoke evenly, not portraying the strain it was taking to keep the wall up. "If it comes down to a fight. . ." he continued, knowing the boy was listening. "I won't be able to beat him. Not without the use of Shukaku." He wasn't ashamed to admit that Sasuke was stronger than himself. That truth has yet to change since the first time he fought the raven in the Chuunin exams.

Just as suddenly as it came on the flames diminished, resulting in Gaara to warily lower his sand barrier. The thick smoke burned his eyes and made it hard to breath in the confines of the hall. As the smoke thinned, the charred walls and floors were revealed, completely damaged beyond repair. Yet that wasn't what had him tense and ready for another attack, it was the figure slowly walking towards them. Sasuke stepped into the thinning smoke, his features void of any emotion. The only thing that betrayed some form of a prominent emotion were those blood-red eyes. The tomoe spun continuously in carefully contained fury.

Gaara stood his ground with his arms crossed as Sasuke approached, using his sand to keep the others behind him. The situation could easily turn deadly with a simple word. That's how unstable Uchiha Sasuke truly was. Without Naruto grounding him, he was like a tornado – unpredictable and destructive – demolishing everything in his way to reach his goal.

Sasuke stopped just mere feet from him, his stare cold and unrelenting. He didn't back down, keeping a straight stare into Sasuke's Sharingan and not displaying in the slightest the small trickle of fear that coursed through his veins. This was a man _to_ fear.

Silence reigned as they both stared at each other for a long minute. The air was thick with tension, which had the ones behind Gaara to jump when Sasuke finally did speak. "Where's Itachi?" Was the cold and flat question.

"Out on a mission."

Eyes narrowed at him and Sasuke's tone suddenly filled with seething rage. "Involving Ouroboros?"

It took a moment for him to decide whether or not he should speak the truth. But considering the situation that could as easily turn catastrophic if known deception was spoken out loud, he thought honesty was best. "Yes."

Black tomoe spun faster at his answer and an all-consuming killing intent filled the small hallway. "What do you know about Ouroboros and the fallen Jinchuuriki?"

_So he knew that much._ "You read through Naruto's entire file?" An intense glare was his only answer. "I'm honestly surprised. I didn't think you were capable."

Crackling and popping echoed off the walls as lightning began to travel along the length of Sasuke's body. "I'm going to ask one more time, Sabaku. What do you know?" His voice was menacing and filled with deadly promises if his questions weren't answered to his liking.

He sighed, resigning himself. "Follow me." He cautiously passed the glaring Uchiha to continue down the hallway, going against his instincts in exposing his back to the unstable man. An intense gaze followed him at first before he felt the taller man mere feet behind him as he turned down the first corner that came up. Jun and the three new members were also trailing at a wise distance of ten feet behind Sasuke. He should probably prevent the new members from following, but the lies they have built themselves on was a slippery slope. And with Sasuke pressing, that slippery slope was going to turn into a landslide and crumble. So why put the effort into it when they were going to find out anyway?

Silently, Sasuke followed Gaara into Ruri's own personal lab. He stopped in the middle of the room while he watched Gaara go to the far corner and bend down to the floor. He placed his hand flat on one of the large, square, white tiles, his Sharingan detecting the subtle chakra that was sent into the floor. The tile rippled and a handle appeared that Gaara grabbed and pulled on. A section of the floor separated and lifted up, revealing a cubbyhole with four separate folders in it.

"What's the hell is going on?" came Ran's loud voice in the previously silent room. "Who's this Ouroboros you guys keep talking about and –" A metallic thud was heard that had Ran cutting himself off.

Then Jun sneered venomously, "Be quiet."

All the while, Sasuke mainly ignored the others, keeping his focus on the folders that Gaara gathered and were now being brought his way. The folders were handed over to him and he immediately took them over to the desk to his right. Jun was soon on the other side of the desk, leaning in to also see what was in the folders. He didn't begrudge the boy his position, Jun had as much to lose as he did.

The first folder he opened held a picture of a woman with blond hair in the corner. He recognized her as Nii Yugito, the Jinchuuriki of Niibi. He laid the folder wide open to the side on the next and opened the second one. The image was of a brunette woman by the name Kimura Haruka, Jinchuuriki of Gobi. He did the same as the previous folder, laying it wide open in the space above Nii Yugito's. The third one he already suspected before he even opened it as being Uzumaki Naruto, former Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi. The last one was filled with sheets of formulas and stacks of test results.

He spread the contents of each folder across the desk, using his Sharingan to take in the information before him. "Jiraiya-sama was probably the first to witness the resurrected body of a Jinchuuriki." Apparently there had been evidence that pointed to who Jiraiya's assailant was. A single hair follicle was found in Jiraiya's hand that was withheld from his knowledge. One that, after a DNA test was performed, matched to Nii Yugito.

"Yes." Gaara said.

"Did Naruto know?" he asked, his gut already telling him that his former lover knew more than he ever let on. Yet, when Gaara did answer it struck deeper than he expected it would.

"Yes. It was the first piece of solid proof of what Ouroboros was up to. After that, Ouroboros fell off the radar completely. Until Naruto died. . ." The way Gaara spoke had Sasuke turning to face the shorter man, suspicion crawling icily down his spine. "I nor the others knew Itachi and Naruto's plan. We found out only after the fact. Naruto knew that Ouroboros wanted him. . . so he gave his permission for his body to used as bait."

"Bait?" Sasuke growled out as his head snapped in the direction of the red head.

Gaara sighed, "After he died, Itachi placed a tracking jutsu on his remains to find the location of Ouroboros's hideout. But it failed. . . Where the tracking jutsu led us was nothing but an empty field. Somehow they found out about the jutsu and hot-wired it so it would lead us to a complete different location."

His anger was reaching it's breaking point, ready to explode, but it wasn't him who lashed out first. Jun slammed his fist against the desk, cracking the wood and looking as furious as he felt. "What the fuck is their aim?!" He picked up a couple of papers and threw them in the air. "None of this tells us what their after!"

"Control." Gaara stated simply like Jun's outburst was nothing. "We always thought they were after the living Jinchuuriki – to take their will and replace it with their own so they could use the power of the Bijuu. We were wrong. That's what they wanted us to believe, but all along they were after the late Jinchuuriki and using the live ones as test subjects."

"Are you saying that this group is reanimating the dead?" Rei questioned from the sideline. "Even if that could be pulled off successfully, the chakra of that person would leave their body shortly after their death and the seal holding the Bijuu would be released. How are they keeping the Bijuu intact?" There was a grumble of 'How come she's allowed to talk?' from Ran while she stalked up to the desk with purpose and grabbed the papers with the medical jargon without permission. No one stopped her as she began to skim through her chosen documents.

Sasuke vaguely wondered how she knew about the Bijuu, but disregarded it when he heard a faint whisper of his name. Or so he thought. He turned and glanced at everyone in the room, seeing that no one had spoken to him. And that's when it started, the light throb behind his eyes. A tell-tale sign that he was about to get a headache.

Rei began speaking again, "According to the tests each one was injected with what's being called, the B9 formula before they died. In theory the injection is what keeps the Bijuu intact after death."

"That's all well and dandy," Jun remarked with a heavy sense of sarcasm after stopping an aggressive pace back and forth across the office. "but if their aim is to control the Bijuu through their dead hosts, then why did they go after Naruto-sempai? He was no longer Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki when he died?"

"That is still a mystery." Gaara answered, "We have yet to figure out what Naruto did to ensure Ouroboros would still target him instead of the new Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi."

"New Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi?" Rei questioned, causing Sasuke to tense at the vague mention of his son. "But. . ." she went on, but suddenly trailed off. Probably because of the death glare she was receiving not only from himself, but from Gaara and Jun also.

The light throb behind his eyes quickly turned into a fierce drumming throughout his entire head. He forced his Sharingan to deactivate in hopes to placate his head. "Could they know all ready?" he spoke through the sharp prickles of pain. Then he heard his name being called again a little louder this time and with a hint of urgency lacing it. He turned and glanced around the room in an attempt to pinpoint where it came from, because there was something familiar about the obscured voice. Something that had his stomach twisting in anxiety and. . . worry.

"No, I don't think so. I don't believe they would waste their time if they knew Kyuubi wasn't still intact. . ." Gaara trailed off before asking, "Is there a problem, Uchiha?"

All eyes focused on him, but he didn't have time to care since the voice came again loud and clear, accompanied by a stab of pain through his head. _"Sasuke!"_ His head snapped in the direction of the voice he was still all too familiar with; his Sharingan re-activated and staring at the large window on the other side of the office. There standing on the other side in the hallway was Naruto, gesturing wildly and lips moving inaudibly.

"Naruto. . ." he whispered, brows crunching together as another wave of pain traveled like railroad spikes through his head.

"Naruto's here?" Gaara questioned.

"Where?" skeptically asked Jun.

Sasuke ignored them, his whole focus on the frustrated-looking blond speaking with no audible words coming out. He took a step forward and followed the moving lips with his Sharingan, 'Get to them! Aki, Kyosuke, Cho – They're in danger!' His eyes widened as his heart raced in fear for his sons at the warning. Before he could even move, his head abruptly began feeling like it was splitting in half. He clenched his eyes shut and clutched his head as Naruto's voice thundered in his head. _"GET TO THEM, SASUKE! NOW!"_

His mind was so congested with the blind pain, he didn't realize that someone had come next to him until they touched his arm. He jerked away from them, stumbling slightly, and immediately sought out the sight of his blond. Naruto was nowhere in sight. He struggled to his feet, finding that it was Jun who had placed his hand on his arm and that Gaara wasn't that much farther away from him either.

"Oh my god. . ." came Rei's startled voice just as he felt something wet drip down his lips.

He brought his hand up to wipe his face, and it came back covered in blood. His nose was bleeding. That wasn't a good sign. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Rei was moving towards him. He glared at her, sneering, "My previous threat still stands." That had her stopping in her tracks.

"Uchiha, don't be stubborn." Gaara argued, "You need to be checked."

"He's right." Jun agreed with the red head. "Look at you, you're fucking bleeding all over the place."

"We don't have the time." Sasuke snapped, wiping the rest of the blood off his face as he headed for the office door. "We have to get to Tsunade-sama's." Because if he wasn't mistaken that morning, he felt Cho's chakra signature within Tsunade's house when he dropped off his sons.

"Why?" inquired Jun, a hint of alarm hidden deep in his voice.

"They're in danger." was all he said before he pushed passed his throbbing headache and raced out of the office, heading in the direction of the Level's exit. He was soon followed by both Gaara and Jun, who kept his pace, then he felt the three new members trailing several feet behind them. He wanted to stop and force those three into staying, but he couldn't waste the minute that it would take to do it. Right now, he had to get to his sons no matter the consequences that could ensue later on.

"Naruto's the one who warned you." Gaara stated.

He didn't respond, instead he formed hand signs when the Level's exit was in sight. When done, he shot his palm out and forced chakra out to slam into the door. It opened and one by one they filed out, speeding up the stairway to the Entrance. Sasuke did the same as he did with the Level's exit, the door barely opened before he breached the threshold without slowing down. Once outside, he picked up the pace, pushing chakra into his legs to make himself go faster.

The forest passed in nothing but a blur, the line of trees coming in view within five minutes. Yet, it felt so much longer with the frantic beat of his heart. He broke through the line of trees and leaped onto the first building, taking the faster route by roofs. It was only another minute before he reached Tsunade's house.

He landed in the front yard, everything seeming normal except for the ajar front door. Gaara and Jun arrived a moment later, landing on either side of him. He expanded his senses out and only found one waning chakra signature within the whole house. His stomach fell at what that could mean. It really could only mean one of two things – That either they were taken or they were. . . He couldn't even think it.

Cautiously, they approached the front door. He was the first one to push the door open with a trembling hand and enter the house. The first thing he saw was Tsunade sprawled on the wooden floor in a pool of blood, then the destroyed remains of her house. He froze, panic erupting and seizing his whole system. Flashes of long ago played through his mind. Of bodies and blood. . . _No!_ Without thought, he raced up the stairs to the second floor, frantically searching each room for his sons. When he found no traces of either of them, he didn't know if wanted to cry in relief or scream out in rage. Where were they?

He fell against the wall and slipped down until he was seated on the floor, cradling his face in his hands. He was trembling violently, unable to stop. He could feel himself falling apart at the seams, splitting and breaking open. His breath was heavy, thick and difficult to take in. He honestly could barely breathe around the trepidation that threatened to suffocate him. It was too much. He could only take so much. He had his limits, and as it was, he was already past them once Naruto died. But losing his boys. . . it would be the end of him.

"_Sitting there won't save them though."_ came a whisper like a soft breeze that sounded too similar to Naruto's voice.

Lifting his head, he stared up at empty air. "Naruto?" When no answer came he leaned his head back against the wall and rubbed his eyes, feeling his headache increasing in intensity again.

"_Sitting there won't save them, Sasuke."_ once again Naruto's voice sounded, but this time louder and with a bit of irritation in it. His eyes snapped open and for a split second he could have sworn he saw the image of Naruto crouching before him with the same irritation displaying on his features as was in his voice.

"All right dobe, I understand what you're saying." It was time to stop with the self-pity and be the Shinobi he was raised to be. . . and a father he miraculously became.

Standing, he took a deep breath and pushed his chaotic emotions down under a safe level where he wouldn't be overwhelmed and consumed by them. It was a difficult task, but he managed to get some sense of composure. He looked around the messy hallway, not getting another glimpse of his dobe, but saying, "Thank you." He turned and made his way back downstairs.

Upon entering the main room, he noticed right away that the three new members arrived at some point while he was upstairs. Rei was crouching over Tsunade with her hands glowing green above her midsection. Apparently the old woman was still alive and, by the way she was breathing, she was struggling to remain that way. His gaze lingered on the blond woman, feeling a small bit of guilt for her condition. Although it was quickly overshadowed with apprehension when Jun and Gaara came out of the kitchen.

Jun stalked off to the side, fury etched in every contour of his face, and slammed his fist into the wall, yelling out, "Fuck!"

That didn't bode well with Sasuke. Even with Naruto's words ringing in his head, it didn't bode well at all. His resolve cracked and he felt sick, his stomach threatening to repel all the content in its confines. He returned his stare back to Gaara, who – besides the three new members – was the only one who wore his mask. "Well?" Unsure if he truly wished to know what they found to infuriate Jun in such a way.

Gaara held out his hand and let a kunai dangle from his index finger. Sasuke's eyes widened just a fraction while the rest of him damn near collapsed with relief. _He didn't find bodies. . ._ his mind reiterated, his breath coming to him a little easier.

"This particular type of kunai are exclusively made and used by the _Hyuuga_ clan." Gaara informed with a bite in his tone, which was the only indication of the shorter man's anger.

Realization donned on him like a slap to the face. "Konoha." he growled. Although he had to begrudgingly admit his former village was the better culprit than the alternative of Ouroboros. But not by much. If that wretched village knew that Aki was his son, bearer of a fully evolved Sharingan, they would attempt to mold him and use him. Not to mention if they found out that Aki was biologically Naruto's son also. . . then he had no idea what they would do then. That small relief he felt at the prospect of his boys still being alive evaporated, leaving nothing but his anxiety that with each passing second was being turned into a blinding rage.

No one goes after the remains of his family without expecting a full-on war to break out. Biting his thumb, he performed rapid hand signs before slamming his palm against the floor. A full grown hawk appeared out of the puff of smoke and glared at him. "What is the meaning –"

"Now's not the time to give me lip, Nagi." Sasuke interrupted sharply, which had the hawk looking like he was ready to bite him. "Aki and Kyosuke have been taken." The divulged information caused the hawk to appear more alert and more willing to help. "I want you to contact every Akuma member and inform them to meet at the Ochiba waterfall, one mile outside of Hi no Kuni. If they're on missions, they are to abandon them. Inform them that Kijin's wife and my two sons have been kidnapped, so time is of the essence."

"You have sons?!" came Ran's shocked outburst. But he wasn't the only one that stared at him with shock, both Kaito's and Rei's eyes were on him.

Like most of the time, he ignored their reactions and finished ordering, "Go."

The hawk inclined his head, "Yes, Sasuke-sama." before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

He was ready to leave, desperate to do something that would lead him in getting his boys back, but. . .

"Will she live?" he asked Rei without even glancing at Tsunade, who he suspected sustained more damage than he knew. If her injuries were not too fatal, then Rei was competent enough to have her stable by now. But with her irregular breathing still occurring, it was proof enough that her condition was worse off than Rei was capable of handling.

Rei didn't stop her healing even while she answered in a strained tone, "There's too much internal damage. I need another medic, otherwise she won't survive."

There was a chance that Tsunade could survive until another medic got there. He was just about to summon another hawk when Tsunade groaned out, "No. . . internal hemorrhaging. . . medic won't make it in time. . ." There was a harsh intake of breath. "Sasuke. . . Sasuke, you brat, come here. . ."

He was reluctant, but the woman was such an intricate part of Naruto's life that he couldn't help but give her a minute of his time even though he cared little for her. He walked around her, crouching down on her left side without much thought that his feet were now standing in her blood. She was far paler than when he first entered the house, her eyes dull and lacking the fire they usually held. For the first time in knowing Tsunade, she seemed frail as she struggled to lift her hand to the front of his cloak and grab some of the fabric in her hand. She tugged softly and he obliged by leaning closer to her.

"I never liked you. . . you're such an arrogant little shit. . ." Should he feel indignant by those comments or was she saying them because of the blood loss. No, this was all Tsunade. Even on her deathbed she could still make time to insult him. "But. . . you-you loved that kid. . . you loved him like he de-deserved. . ." A coughing fit broke her off. One that had blood spewing out and slipping down her chin.

Rei attempted to move her hands up over Tsunade's lungs, but she wasn't having any of it. Tsunade swatted Rei's hands away, blatantly refusing treatment. "If-If I'm gonna die. . . then I'm go-gonna die without you hovering over me. . . Why the hell would I-I wa-want your face to be the last thing I see. . ."

"But Tsunade-sama –"

She was cut off by Sasuke's command, "Move away, Hiiro." He could tell that the girl wanted to argue, but the glare he sent her kept her quiet as she stood and moved to stand next to Kaito.

"I lost so ma-many people I love. . ." Her eyes slanted and looked at him. "You know. . . And I pro-promised myself I would protect them in _his_ place. . . I failed. . . H-How could I fail. . ." Tears pooled, "My own grandchildren. . ." and fell down her bloodied cheeks. Her eyes became more distant as she diverted them and stared up at the ceiling, whispering, "I'm sorry. . . gaki. . ."

Her eyes fluttered closed and she took her last breath. . .

"_Goodbye Baa-chan. . ."_


	7. Inside the Black

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Seven

**Inside the Black**

In the lands of Konohagakure the mid-morning sun shone brightly, filtering through the wide windows of the Hokage's office. Kakashi sat behind the large wooden desk, reclining back with his feet propped up on a stack of neglected paperwork. In his hands was an old copy of an Icha Icha Paradise book from his own personal collection.

Since the death of Jiraiya, the production abruptly stopped and he was forced to reread his books over and over. It was an unfortunate occurrence, one he would suffer from for many years to come. . .

He giggled at a particularly good part in his book before he turned the page to finish the section that he considered made his life worthwhile. His office door opened with a quiet click of the hatch. He didn't even glance up nor did he acknowledge the nagging twenty-four year old Udon when he came bustling in. "Hokage-sama!" the boy began immediately, "What are you doing?! Look at all the paperwork you haven't done! How are you –" and that's when he tunes him out.

For years he suspected someone seriously didn't like him, because it was his most honest belief that Udon was only assigned as his secretary out of revenge. Being forty-five years old, he's made his fare share of enemies, but even he wouldn't sic Udon on any of them. The only saving grace was that the boy thankfully grew out of that disgusting runny rose he use to always have.

"Hokage-sama, are you listening to me?" Udon whined in that grating tone he couldn't possibly block out.

"Hmm?" he hummed as he brought his head up to look at the young man. "Oh Udon. . . when did you come in?"

It was this brief moment where Udon's mouth hangs open shamelessly that he gets some peaceful silence in the supposed man's presence. Then it morphs into a pout and he could just count down in his head before that mouth starts to run again with renewed vigor. "Hokage-sama, you shouldn't be so laid back. What if an enemy came in with you so unsuspecting? Then. . ." he trailed off when Kakashi lifted his eyebrow at him. "Not that you're not more than capable in protecting yourself, Hokage-sama or the entire village. That's definitely not what I'm saying at all."

"Udon." he interrupted before the boy could go on and bury himself even further. "Is there something you wanted?" _Besides be a bigger pain in my ass?_ he continued on silently.

A light seemed to shine in a darken room. "Oh right, I almost forgot. . . The Council wants to see you."

It was amazing how one word could darken his mood so drastically. He frowned deeply and stared flatly at Udon, who began to fidget and glance at anything but him. He spared the boy by diverting his stare down to the single framed picture displayed on his desk. A disapproved photo of his Genin team; Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto and himself fifteen years ago. His gaze lingered on the blond boy in the picture. Uzumaki Naruto. His student who was unjustly treated and banned from the village by the Council.

His resentment for the Council was like an old wound. Concealed a lot of the time until the days come up that remind him. Like today. Being summoned to look upon the few faces who still remain in the ranks from the old Council, it was always enough to leave a nasty taste in his mouth for days.

"When do they wish to see me?" he questioned somberly without removing his stare away from the photo.

"I-I'm as-assuming now, Hokage-sama." Udon stuttered out.

"Hmn." he grunted, standing from his chair and grabbing his Hokage's hat and robes. Might as well get it over with. Even though waiting a few hours did sound tempting just to piss them off. But they were persistent little bastards, and by the end of the day messengers would be sent in search of him for his questionable absence. He's gone through the same song and dance on more than one occasion, but today he wasn't in the mood to go through the motions.

He passed Udon without a word as he pulled his robes on and placed the Hokage hat on top of his head. He sighed like he was about to walk into his own execution while stepping out of his office and then heading in the direction of the Council chambers.

As he walked, his thoughts drifted back to his former Genin team. More specifically his two male students. Since their departure nine years ago he hasn't heard from either one of them. It was Itachi who continued to keep some form of contact with him. As little as it may have been. And even then it held little information about his former students. He wondered if Itachi told them about his promotion. Were they surprised? He sure as hell was when he was elected to be the Rokudaime after Tsunade resigned and left Konoha.

Why they would even consider him, he would always have to wonder. Since with the first and only team he ever taught produced two renowned S – Class missing nins, you'd think that would give them some insight on his leadership skills. But no, they still insisted. And who was he to say no.

He came upon the double doors that stood as the entrance to the Council chambers and strolled right in without being announced. The loud mumblings suddenly were cut off with his appearance, but he paid little mind as he stopped in the middle of the vast room and faced the tiers of Council members. He kept his impassive features instead of the glare he would prefer to give them. They didn't deserve respect, but in order to keep the peace, he had to act like there was a semblance of respect in the air. Even if it was false.

One of the members from the old Council, Mori Akehiko stood and began to speak. "Good morning, Hokage-sama." Kakashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the pleasantries. "I must say your timing's improving." There was definitely no resisting the glare he directed at the man that time.

"Get to the point on why you're wasting my time."

That seemed to have flustered the man, since he coughed in his hand with a light blush. "Yes. . . well. . . We wished to discuss the future of the Uchiha clan in Konoha." That peaked his interest. But if they even suggested on bringing either Sasuke or Itachi back, he would have to laugh in their faces. Hysterically. "As you know both of the surviving Uchiha members are S – Class missing nins." He quirked an eyebrow at the Council member like, _no shit_. "So in order to rebuild the clan within the walls of Konoha, we acquired Uchiha Sasuke-kun's three year old son."

For a second, he thought it was some joke, but when the man's features didn't change nor did any of the other Council members – except some expressions did darken – he knew that Mori was being completely honest. Then after the shock of, _Sasuke has a son_, his mind went straight to the threat that now loomed ominously over their heads. "You did _what_ without my knowledge?"

"More correctly. . ." one of the newer members of the Council spoke while glaring at the other man. "He did it without most of our knowledge?"

Oh. . . so Mori Akehiko thought he was one of those ones that could do whatever he liked. Foolish man. He would soon learn that he was sadly mistaken.

"The Uchihas are a powerful clan." Mori insistently continued, "Losing Sasuke-kun was a great loss to the village. In order to regain that power we had to take measures in our own hands."

_Power?_ he thought disgustingly. It was always about power. "So you thought it would be wise to kidnap the son of a high ranking Akuma member?" he questioned with the appearance of calm.

There was a moment of silence before Mori responded. "Yes."

"Are you insane?!" Kakashi uncharacteristically yelled. "Not only have you brought the Uchiha brothers here, but you've brought the whole of Akuma to rain down hell upon us." He shook his head a the man's stupidity. Of all the things that could have been done, taking Sasuke's son was far from the wisest. It was downright suicidal. He took in a deep breath to reign in his simmering anger, and asked, "Where's the boy?" Preferring to have the kid in his custody to ensure his safety. God forbid if anything happen to him other than what already has.

Surprisingly without argument, Mori nodded to the side like a defeated man and an Anbu came forward from the shadows carrying a small boy curled in on himself and crying. He couldn't really see his face behind the small hands, but the pale skin and the black hair that slightly spiked in the back told of the similarities between father and son. Protective instincts rose up for his former student's son, causing him to quickly approached the Anbu and take the boy from his arms.

The boy's body was pulled tight in what he could only assume was the result of fear. He rubbed his back in an attempt to sooth him while ordering, "Now arrest him and whoever else was responsible for this." He turned to leave then, adjusting the boy as he did so.

He headed back to his office with one thing on his mind. . . He had to prepare for war.

* * *

><p>Anger sizzled through Sasuke's veins as he paced impatiently. Excluding himself, seventeen Akuma members have arrived at the meeting place of Ochiba waterfall. But that wasn't what had his blood boiling in a way that had him close to lashing out. It was that none of them were his brother and his team. They have yet to arrive and it was pissing him off.<p>

No one dared to speak nor interrupt his furious back and forth motion with the air that surrounded him. They apparently knew that the slightest move would ignite his wrath.

It was six more minutes before a puff of smoke erupted and Nagi to appear once it cleared. He glared at the hawk, ready to question the bird of his brother's whereabouts when Nagi beat him to speaking. "I was unable to locate Itachi-sama, Ruri-sama, and Miki-sama. For reasons unknown their chakra signatures were hidden from me."

Sasuke cursed at the unexpected turn of events. Not only had his sons and Cho been kidnapped, but now his brother and his team were missing. Everything was going wrong – everything falling out of control – and the day had barely begun.

"You're dismissed." he told Nagi, who vanished in another puff of smoke.

It wasn't even a choice which crisis was his priority. Getting his sons and Cho back ultimately stood at the top of the list. He'll just have to find Itachi and his team after the others are back with them safely. He wasn't willing to risk his sons for his brother. That should be a hard thing to think, but in reality, it was quite easy. Itachi didn't hold a candle to what his sons meant to him. Their safety would always come first no matter the situation.

Because now the decisions fell to him to make. With Itachi presently missing in action, the position of Captain was his until Itachi was found.

He faced Gaara, now second in command, and ordered, "We proceed."

* * *

><p>Kakashi was shocked speechless to say the least. He sat on his haunches next to the bed in the private quarters of the Hokage's office, where Sasuke's son was currently backed up against the wall with tearful eyes staring fearfully at him. He could only stare with fascination at the fully developed Sharingan that stared back at him from a mere three year old. It was amazing. Never once in all his years has he ever witnessed such a sight.<p>

Tentatively he brought his hand up, attempting to get close to the boy in hopes of calming him down. But the sound of a whimper and the sight of him pulling his legs closer to himself halted his movements any further. He was only terrifying the boy more. He sighed, trying to think of a way to get Sasuke's son to trust him. Even if it was just enough to stop him from crying.

"Did you know. . ." Kakashi began, an idea striking him. "I have one of those eyes too." The only change in the boy's expression was the crinkling of his brows. Meaning he was at least taking a little interest. He reached up and lifted the headband covering his left eye, displaying his own Sharingan eye. "See. . . just like yours."

He never expected the boy to shakily reach out and prod around his eye, like he was testing to see if it was real. He remained completely still throughout the whole thing as not to startle and frighten the boy. "Tou-san and Ita-ji have them too." came the hoarse whisper. "Are you an Uchiha?"

"No, I'm not. But I did teach you're Tou-san for a short while."

The boy retracted his hand while his bottom lip quivered. "I want my Tou-san." he whined, more tears spilling over.

He risked patting the boy's shoulder, which only resulted in him tensing. "Don't worry, he's on his way to get you." That he could guarantee. He knew his former student enough he could say without doubt that Sasuke would tear through Konoha to find his son.

The sound of his office door opening caused him to stand and straighten out his hitai-ate where it covered his Sharingan eye. "You stay here." he told Sasuke's son as he left and closed the door behind him to his private quarters.

Walking over to his desk he sat down and faced the four individuals he summoned earlier. Sakura, Neji, Kiba with Akamaru at his side, and Shikamaru stood side by side in front of his desk. "I've called you here because you four – besides myself – know the identities of the high ranking Akuma members. And a situation has arisen that could quite possibly result in a war with Akuma."

"A war, Hokage-sama?" Sakura, head medic of the hospital, said. "But we haven't done anything to Akuma."

"We have now." Kakashi spoke bitterly.

Neji's eyes narrowed, looking even more forlorn in his Anbu uniform. "What has been done that would give Akuma just cause to issue an attack on Konoha."

"Just cause?" Kiba snorted. "Since when do they need just cause?" His comment received several questionable expressions. "What? Just 'cause we know blondie's the leader doesn't change the shit they do."

Kiba did have a point, Kakashi had to accede. No matter knowing that two of his former students were active members in Akuma, it still didn't change some of the things the group did. Even after nine years, Akuma was still the most feared mercenary team in all the Hidden Continents. And there's a reason why they have kept that title for over ten years.

"Hokage-sama, if you would continue." Shikamaru drawled while his eyes were formed in a lazy glare at Kiba. Someone was more perturbed by Kiba's comment than what Kakashi was expecting. It was odd. Normally Shikamaru wouldn't waste the energy to be bothered by the brunette's rude mouth. Maybe there was something more going on with Shikamaru than what he knew. But he did have his suspicions.

"A couple of the old Council had schemed behind my back and kidnapped the son of an Akuma member."

Shikamaru suddenly became awake and alert. "Who's son?"

"Uchiha Sasuke's."

A gasp came from Sakura while Kiba blurted out, "That ass has a son?!" Then more calmly with a hint of confusion. "Wait. . . ain't he with Naruto?"

"You have Aki?" Shikamaru questioned in disbelief, drawing not only his attention but also the other three in the room. "Where is he? Is he all right?" There was unique worry in the younger man's voice that surprised him.

"Aki? How do _you_ know the boy's name?" His question was filled with accusations. Even though he was guilty of the same crime.

With a sigh Shikamaru answered, "I've kept in contact with Itachi."

"So have I, but I never knew Sasuke had a son."

Shikamaru merely shrugged and said, "You're in a place of power that Itachi doesn't trust."

Kakashi wasn't sure if that angered him more or not. He knew that him and Itachi never particularly liked each other. They only continued to stay in contact mainly out of business politics than anything else. Maybe that's what made the difference. Shikamaru was one of the ones who earned Akuma's trust long before they're mission in Konoha. Which could mean. . . he focused on Neji and asked, "Did you know?"

The Anbu Captain's features remained impassive, but there was a tiny flicker of emotion in his pale eyes. "No. The child must have been born after the relationship between Gaara and I ended." Again there was that flicker of emotion, and this time, he was able to identify it as regret.

Of all the things to hear about, he heard of the breakup between Neji and Gaara several years back. The cause being Neji's Uncle, Hyuuga Hiashi. The clan head of the main branch began to pressure Neji on getting married and having children. It took a whole year before Neji caved and broke up with Gaara. Then within the next month he married a noble woman, and by the end of the year she was pregnant with his first son, Roka. Two years later, his second son, Jiro was conceived.

For all appearances, they were a happy family. But if someone looked really close, one could see how Neji adored his children and despised his wife. It was rarely seen, but it was there. Neji was not the same person as he was when he was with Gaara. He was colder and more distant unless his children were around.

Kakashi turned his attention back to Shikamaru. "Is Aki Naruto's also?" Kiba made an odd face while Shikamaru's gaze lingered on the floor, hesitating. "And don't you dare lie to me either." he warned.

Shikamaru sighed and brought his gaze back up. He could see the reluctance as he answered, "Yes. . . he's Naruto's son too."

He leaned back in his chaired and crossed his arms. "So not only am I gonna have a pissed off Uchiha, but I'm also gonna have a pissed off Uzumaki to deal with. That's great. Those two alone could. . ." he trailed off when Shikamaru went back to staring at the floor. Now that wouldn't have set off his alarms, but the second he noticed the first fidget from a man who could talk his way into making treaties between two villages who previously were at war with each other, definitely had him on edge. "Is there something you want to tell me Shikamaru?"

It appeared the man was debating something heavily over in his mind. And after a couple of moments it seemed he came to a decision. "Naruto won't be coming." he said while still staring at the floor. But the way he said it, like his former student would never be seen again, caused dread to settle in the pit of his stomach.

"What?" Sakura asked incredulously. "If that's his son, how couldn't he not come?"

"Because he's dead."

Silence reigned like an iron grip. No reaction but shock occurred until Sakura collapsed into a chair with a choked sob and Kiba's face contorted before turning around in the opposite direction. Neji was the one who instantly asked, "How long?" displaying a rare emotion of sorrow across his usually impassive features.

"Three years."

Kakashi closed his eyes at the answer, feeling that familiar emotion of failure fill his body. It was similar to fifteen years ago when he was informed that Naruto had most likely died on a mission. He felt like he could have done more to ensure the safety of the blond. Could have at least help prevent whatever tragic thing that had happened to him. Because there was no question, he had failed on numerous occasions. Yet, he allowed Itachi to continue evading the subject of Sasuke and Naruto. Why didn't he try harder?

He may have barely let it show in the past, but he had cared for his team. Even now, it mattered to him what happened to any of his students. Even if Sasuke and Naruto were missing nins, to him they were still those two boys who use to fight and argue constantly. They were still those two boys who had that bond that even he couldn't comprehend how deep it went. They were still his students he came to value like family. . .

"What happened?" he asked solemnly.

There was a long sigh before Shikamaru began to tell the story of how Naruto's health declined, spending the last year of his life restricted to his bed. He told how they suspected that Naruto purposely got himself pregnant four months prior and then died to save that very child. _Aki. . ._ The only thing left of Naruto.

By the end of Shikamaru's words trailing off into tangible silence, Kakashi had his face in his hand, feeling a semblance of loss for his former student. Yet, out of everyone, he never suspected Neji to take it that hard. The brunette slammed his fist into the wall closest to him and yelled out, "Why weren't we informed?!" Neji wasn't the only one who wanted that answer.

Shikamaru tilted his head and appeared to contemplate an answer. "Itachi wished for the world to think he was still alive."

That's reasonable. . . sort of. "And Sasuke? How did he take all this?" By the way Shikamaru's face fell the slightest bit, Kakashi feared that Naruto's death wasn't the only one. Have they both been lost? He had to admit, he wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke had followed Naruto. It may have took him some time, but he finally understood that Sasuke would follow Naruto anywhere. Even hell if it came right down to it.

"Sasuke didn't take it too well at all. Quite literally, he lost his mind for a period of time. I believe the only reason he's still alive is because of his two sons."

"Two sons?" Like one wasn't a shock enough, but two?

With an exasperated roll of his eyes, Shikamaru said, "A few years before Naruto died they adopted Kyosuke."

"The youngest Jinchuuriki?"

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at him and when he spoke, he tone was harder. "His name's Uzumaki Kyosuke. Now where is Aki?" The question being asked for a second time. His posture told him that Shikamaru wouldn't tolerate his question being ignored again.

Kakashi stood and entered his private quarters to find that Aki was back to hugging his knees to his chest. As he stepped closer, Aki began to shake and press himself back closer to the wall, like he was trying to disappear through it. "It's all right, I'm not going to hurt you." he attempted to sooth the child, but it did no good. Even as he picked the boy up, Aki whimpered while tears fell and his body tensed into complete stillness.

He walked back into his office, and when he placed Aki on the bench seat against the wall, he realized the boy had his eyes closed like before. Once Aki was released, the boy scooted himself to the corner of the bench and hid his face against his bent knees. He was back to shaking with his fearful cries filling the office.

"What the hell did you do to him?!" Shikamaru surprisingly yelled in a manner that spoke protectiveness. "He's petrified."

_Way to speak the obvious. . ._ he thought as he sat back down in his chair. Shikamaru apparently thought he could do better with the boy, then he was more than welcome to try. It wasn't like he was having much luck. He had no idea how Sasuke raised his son, but it was obvious Aki was distrustful and truly frightened of anyone he didn't know. It was slightly disconcerting. . . Maybe Sasuke sheltered his son a little bit too much.

He watched as Shikamaru approached Aki, only for the boy to let out a pitiful choking sound when the brunette got too close. Already – besides the fully develop Sharingan – the child was showing skill. Without even looking, Aki knew the location of ones who attempted to get too close. There was no doubt about it, he was definitely their son.

"You said you knew the kid." Kiba said, his eyes on the terrified boy.

Shikamaru stepped back from Aki, putting enough distance that it calm him a little. "No. . . I only met Aki once when he was a baby, about a week after Naruto died. I doubt he would even remember me."

Sakura stood then and cautiously got closer to Aki. It only took two steps for the boy to know there was someone getting closer and in result, his whole body visibly tensed. Sakura stopped and crouched low to Aki's level. "Hey sweetie. . ." she spoke in a sugar-coated tone that normally was reserved for her own daughter. "My name's Sakura. I hear your name's Aki. You know that's a beautiful name that Sasuke gave you." If it was because of Sakura's female voice or the mention of his father, Aki raised his head and Sakura gasped at the Sharingan staring at her. Those watery, blood red eyes moved to glance around the room, causing the trembling in the boy's body to strengthen.

Kiba spluttered, pointing at Aki blatantly while Neji stared at the boy with his Byakugan activated, probably scaring Aki that much more. Shikamaru spoke in a contemplated tone, "So it was true." but he didn't elaborate on his words. He turned away from Aki and stared at Kakashi. "From what Itachi has told me, Sasuke is highly protective of his sons."

"Yes, I kind of figured." he said while sitting back down in his chair, the whole situation wearing him down. Why the hell did he take this job again?

"It's best to begin preparations for the worst case scenario."

"He may be a missing nin," Sakura began, "but Konoha is his birthplace. I don't think Sasuke'll go that far." It took her some time and research to see Sasuke in a different light. She had finally forgiven the man, but at that moment her compassion was misplaced.

Kiba snorted quite loudly, "This is Uchiha Sasuke we're talkin' about." Which earned him a glare from the Kunoichi.

"We have his son." Shikamaru reasoned. "Sasuke won't hold back. He'll tear this village down to the ground if it meant getting Aki back. We're nothing but obstacles to him, don't believe yourself otherwise unless you want to be killed."

Kakashi nodded, agreeing with how far Sasuke would be willing to go. "I'll be issuing a Level Three threat." A level reserved for threats of Orochimaru's level. "You all know what your responsibilities are. Get them done. We have a village to protect. You're dismissed." Three puffs of smoke followed his final words, but one person still remained. "Is there something else you wanted Shikamaru."

"I would like to take Aki with me, Hokage-sama." Shikamaru said without hesitation.

His eyebrow rose at the blatant distrust that comment spoke of. "Are you worried I might harm Sasuke's son?" There was no reply. "Or are you worried I might not give him back?" Again there was no reply, but the flat stare he was receiving was answer enough. "Get out of my office Shikamaru and get your job done." The brunette's face tightened in an image that appeared he wanted to argue, but he just glanced at Aki in a moment of indecision before giving a stiff nod and disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi sighed in a mixture of annoyance and uneasiness. He wasn't an idiot, he knew their best option was to hand Aki over to Sasuke. The man had the most dangerous missing nins at his disposal, the consequences in doing otherwise would be disastrous.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a soft, stuttering voice, "Y-You're not gonna hurt my Tou-san, are you?"

His heart clenched as he glanced over at the small child so similar in appearance to his father. He wished to reassure him, but he didn't want to lie. The shinobi of Konoha would do what they had to, to defend their village. Even if it meant going as far as killing Sasuke, he would have to condone it. He was the Hokage meant to make the hard decisions for the sake of Konoha while Sasuke was a S – Class missing nin ready to tear that village down to get his son back, he couldn't allow his personal feelings to get into the mix.

Too bad it was all ready too late. . .

* * *

><p>A dense darkness encompassed them from all sides, making it near impossible for visible sight. But with his Sharingan activated, Itachi could see easily down the darken corridor. With his advantage, he walked behind Ruri and Miki and guided the two around the obstacles that laid in their path. His body was held tense with the apprehension that was layered thickly in the air, and with caution, he directed their movements with precision.<p>

For twenty minutes they had been in the facility that was suppose to house Ouroboros, but so far it appeared to have been abandoned. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone had been watching them the second they had stepped foot into the building. He hasn't detected anyone, but his instincts told him otherwise. There was someone there, lurking in the darkness. Someone with enough skill who could shield their chakra to the point where he couldn't even sense the smallest trace.

They were only two yards away from being at the end of the corridor where it splits off into either left or right when a figure ran across the hall. "Stop." he ordered, freezing the two in their places. Giggling sounded and echoed off the walls in a disturbing manner. _A child?_ "We're not alone."

"Oh thanks, Mister States-the-Obvious. . ." Miki retorted sarcastically. "I think the fucking _giggling_ was the huge indicator of that."

"Ryutaro." Ruri reprimanded in a harsh whisper.

"What?" Miki snapped back.

"Be quiet." Itachi says in an icy tone that had a huff coming from the other man, but with nothing else following. He was thankful that Miki learned years ago when to shut up in the type of situation they were currently in.

Another series of giggles resounded throughout the corridor that sent chills down his spine. _We're being toyed with_, he thought as he glanced all around, attempting to pinpoint there origin. There was nothing. It was then that the emergency lights suddenly flickered on, faintly lighting up the corridor enough where visible sight was possible.

"What the. . ." Miki murmured to himself, looking up at the lit emergency bulbs. "Why'd they come on now?"

Itachi barely paid attention to Miki, his main focus was on the chakra signature that appeared several yards behind him along with the soft steps of bare feet. He could feel there was something familiar about the chakra signature, something that poked at the edge of his consciousness, something that he should know, but he couldn't quite place it. Instead of lingering on it though, he concentrated on the threat that continued to close on them.

Without feigning ignorance, he turned around and stared down the hallway at the figure approaching at a leisurely pace. More correctly a small girl, who could be no older than seven or eight years of age. Even being called a small girl could be a misconception when there were parts of her that were artificial.

The girl took a few more steps before she stopped directly under the beam from one of the emergency lights. Her face was lit up, displaying the childlike features. His eyes widened at what he saw while he heard Ruri gasp loudly behind him. The girl had angelic blonde hair cut just below her ears, flawless pale skin, and mismatch eyes. One was dark in shade and clouded over, like she was blind in that eye, while the other was blood red with three black tomoe. A single developed Sharingan.

Innocent in appearance, she smiled sweetly. "It's good to finally meet you, Uncle 'Tachi."

His eyes widened impossibly further, because in that second it became horrifyingly clear who that little girl was. . .

"Asuka. . ."


	8. Broken Wing

**Previously in Veils of Deceit. . .**

"_I've called you here because you four – besides myself – know the identities of the high ranking Akuma members. And a situation has arisen that could quite possibly result in a war with Akuma."_

"_A war, Hokage-sama?" Sakura, head medic of the hospital, said. "But we haven't done anything to Akuma."_

"_We have now." Kakashi spoke bitterly. _

_Neji's eyes narrowed, looking even more forlorn in his Anbu uniform. "What has been done that would give Akuma just cause to issue an attack on Konoha."_

"_A couple of the old Council had schemed behind my back and kidnapped the son of an Akuma member."_

_Shikamaru suddenly became awake and alert. "Who's son?"_

"_Uchiha Sasuke's." _

_*/*/*_

_Anger sizzled through Sasuke's veins as he paced impatiently. Excluding himself, seventeen Akuma members have arrived at the meeting place of Ochiba waterfall. But that wasn't what had his blood boiling in a way that had him close to lashing out. It was that none of them were his brother and his team. They have yet to arrive and it was pissing him off._

_It was six more minutes before a puff of smoke erupted and Nagi to appear once it cleared. He glared at the hawk, ready to question the bird of his brother's whereabouts when Nagi beat him to speaking. "I was unable to locate Itachi-sama, Ruri-sama, and Miki-sama. For reasons unknown their chakra signatures were hidden from me."_

"_You're dismissed." he told Nagi, who vanished in another puff of smoke. _

_With Itachi presently missing in action, the position of Captain was his until Itachi was found. He faced Gaara, now second in command, and ordered, "We proceed."_

_*/*/*_

_Another series of giggles resounded throughout the corridor that sent chills down his spine. We're being toyed with, Itachi thought as he glanced all around, attempting to pinpoint there origin. There was nothing. It was then that the emergency lights suddenly flickered on, faintly lighting up the corridor enough where visible sight was possible. _

_The girl took a few more steps before she stopped directly under the beam from one of the emergency lights. Her face was lit up, displaying the childlike features. His eyes widened at what he saw while he heard Ruri gasp loudly behind him. The girl had angelic blonde hair cut just below her ears, flawless pale skin, and mismatch eyes. One was dark in shade and clouded over, like she was blind in that eye, while the other was blood red with three black tomoe. A single developed Sharingan. _

_Innocent in appearance, she smiled sweetly. "It's good to finally meet you, Uncle 'Tachi."_

_His eyes widened impossibly further, because in that second it became horrifyingly clear who that little girl was. . ._

"_Asuka. . ."_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Eight

**Broken Wing**

There was rarely anything that could truly disturb Uchiha Itachi. He has seen some of the cruelest things ever done in the world, yet none of that could compare to the sight of the young girl before him. His own niece with the abstract combination between human and mechanical parts sent his stomach rolling. This was not how she was suppose to experience life. Not as one of Ouroboros's experiments. He knew they have done some awful atrocities, but they have truly become monstrous to mess with a stillborn child.

He could barely keep the dangerous combination of fury and sorrow from overshadowing his composure of impassiveness. This was his little brother's daughter who died at birth fifteen years ago. And the fact that she stood in front of him in a body that would be more likely to pass as a doll instead of a human disgusted him to no end. They had no right to play God with his niece.

"Asuka. . ."

"N-No. . ." Ruri stammered in denial. "That can't be. . ."

Asuka's young head tilted sideways in a manner that would have been considered cute if the situation wasn't so wrong. "So you do remember me?" her voice tinged with a small amount of shock.

How could he forget? She was going to begin the next generation of Uchiha. One freed from the taint of their clan. More importantly, she was going to be an addition to what little family he had left. He could never forget her. "Of course I do. You're Sasuke's daughter; my niece."

Her eyes tightened at the mention of Sasuke, but her teasing smile didn't falter. "My father." The bitterness that laced each word was slightly surprising. A little more so than her actually knowing who her father was. "How _is_ father doing?" Her lips curled up into a smirk that just as easily spoke of her Uchiha genes. "A little busy I presume with getting my little brother back from Konoha."

Outwardly, Itachi made sure there was no indication that what she said affected him, but inwardly, there were so many questions running through his mind. What happened to Aki? What did Konoha have to do with it? Did Konoha have his nephew? Mentally he took a deep breath and pushed the questions away, knowing full well that Sasuke would go to great lengths to keep his sons safe. Instead he said, "So they allowed you to know who your father is. . . and your mother?"

He watched carefully for her reaction as her smirk flattened into a frown and a sadness bloomed in her mismatch eyes. Interesting. . . She holds such bitter resentment for her father, but a longing sadness for her mother. It was such a contrast that it became obvious it was Ouroboros's doing.

"Uzumaki Naruto was my mother." she stated. "He died giving birth to my brother."

"Yes, he did." He paused, strategizing about what he was going to say next. "Naruto would have loved to meet you." There it was in her eyes, a light of a child seeking her mother's affection. And dear god, she must have been starved for it. "It broke his heart when you were stillborn. He loved you so much. . . How Asuka? I was there when you were born. You were dead. How is that you're not now?"

She shrugged, her eyes solemnly downcast. "Ouroboros has their ways, I guess. I don't really know." She lifted her gaze back up and extended her arms out away from the white dress she wore, displaying her mechanical joints. "But as you can see, whatever they did they did it wrong. For being fifteen years old, my body only grew to be the size of an eight year old child. And even then, some parts didn't mature properly and were disfigured. So they replaced them." Her voice being aloof and uncaring.

"Of god. . ." Ruri groaned, sounding sick. "How could they do that to you? To a mere child. . ."

Monsters. . . That's who.

There was no other word Itachi could best describe those men with. And so easily Konoha could call Naruto a monster. . . They didn't know the true meaning. Ouroboros was the purest form. And just staring at Asuka as her pale features darkened and a sinister smirk formed, he knew only a monster with not an ounce of humanity could inflict such irrevocable damage on an innocent child.

"Apparently it was easy." Asuka said while she raised her hand. A condensed spiral of wind circled her hand before the limb lit up like a torch with fire.

Itachi's body tensed at the display of both of her parent's affinities; wind and fire. A deadly combination. He prepared himself for the fight she was so blatantly initiating. _She's not my niece. . ._ he had to tell himself. _Not any longer. . ._

The fire spread and licked along her body until tendrils surrounded her in fiery streams. "Now though. . . it's time to play."

* * *

><p>The forest surrounding Konoha was eerily quiet as the majority of Akuma took position among the trees, like the woodland knew of the bloodshed that was to come. Sasuke, with the use of his Sharingan, scanned the area of the front gates several hundred yards away. He smirked under his mask at the number of Anbu guarding the front gates. So Kakashi anticipated Akuma's arrival. He wasn't surprised. Kakashi would had to have been completely naive to think he wouldn't come for his sons and use any available asset. The man was a lot of things, but naivety wasn't one of them.<p>

With the way the Anbu were tense and prepared for any possible attack, he had a growing suspicion they already knew of their presence. That's all right. . . That small advantage wouldn't help Konoha much.

"Are you prepared?" he was questioned monotonously by Gaara, who was crouched on the same tree branch to his right. He wondered if he should be asking the red head the same thing. The man was bound to come face to face with his former lover at some point during the raid. But since he didn't care, he didn't bother. He merely gave a curt nod in return, and apparently it was enough of an answer, because Gaara gave one back as confirmation. Then without further ado they flickered down onto the dirt trail that led to the Konoha gates, leaving the rest of Akuma among the trees waiting for the signal, which represented a Kage Bunshin in his place with a hand raised.

With an air of calm and a stride of confidence, they approached the line of Anbu stationed in front of the entrance to Konoha. One Anbu with a Bear mask moved towards them, closing the distance that separated them by several yards. Gaara tensed next to him when the Anbu member was none other than Hyuuga Neji. The yards turned into feet before they stopped and regarded each other for a moment. Then Neji questioned, "What's your business here Akuma?" his stare straight on Gaara.

Sasuke would have found that rude if the brunette's act of innocence hadn't pissed him off so. He glared at the covered face with disdain. "You know very well why we're here, Hyuuga." The sneer in his voice dripping with cold venom.

It was only then did Neji turn to him and say, "You're not permitted to enter Konoha."

"Wrong answer."

His Kage Bunshin lowered his hand, signaling to the rest of the Akuma members to go ahead. And once the first jutsu was released, chaos ensued.

Gaara's sand erected and began an assault on Neji, who skillfully maneuvered himself to avoid injury. It was expected with how the two trained together for many years before they broke up. They knew each others' moves inside and out, except for the four years they trained apart. But the aim wasn't to incapacitate Neji just yet, it was only to distract as they made their way closer to Konoha's gates with every onslaught of sand.

With the other Konoha shinobi distracted by the rest of Akuma vicious attacks, it was an easy feat to make it to the front gates without further distractions. That was when the sand suddenly retracted back to Gaara and rose up in abundance while he shifted his feet apart and pressed the palm of his hands together. Gaara must have not been pleased to see Neji again because the man didn't even hesitate from releasing his tidal way of sand. Neji barely got out of the way as it crashed violently against the closed gates and connecting walls, demolishing the entire section into rubble.

There was a short moment of silence where the sounds of fighting ceased, then it began anew with great vigor. The noise was deafening as Sasuke and Gaara continued their trek past the threshold and into Konoha. They took the rooftops and headed toward the Hokage Tower. Along the way, Sasuke used the sigils on his wrist and summoned Kusanagi. The lethal weapon slid ominously from under his cloak's sleeve and into his hand. As he fused Raiton into his sword he sensed Neji coming from behind and two other shinobi coming from the left of them.

He countered Neji's attack with Kusanagi, his lightning crackling against the brunette's now singed skin, while Gaara dealt with the other two. The lightning traveled along the rest of his body, hissing and popping around him. He forced his lightning to surge out, causing Neji to jump back several yards and to resume the traditional Hyuuga stance once back on his feet.

He glared at the nuance that Neji had become. No matter of their past alliances, he now stood between him and his sons. And that was a dangerous position to put oneself in.

Gaara came and stood at his side, sand whirling threatening around their feet, when another set of shinobi flanked them on both sides. They were like roaches; you take care of some only for them to be replaced by more. This time though it was by a couple he recognized. The one Anbu member wearing the red painted Dog mask was Kiba with his large dog Akamaru and the other was the Hyuuga heiress, Hinata.

"Stand down!" yelled Hinata from her perch on top of a building. "Otherwise we'll be forced to take whatever action is necessary to subdue you both."

Sasuke snorted at the ludicrousness of her words. "Even the Anbu Captain didn't bother to spew that speech." he said as he looked up to Hinata, no longer seeing a shy and timid girl. "You want to protect your village?" His tone hardened. "Then return the ones you've taken. You fail to do so will result in the further destruction of Konoha." Because it would have to be a cold day in Hell before he would walk out of Konoha without his sons.

Translucent eyes narrowed, causing her side veins to become more prominent. It seemed like she was going to say something more but she abruptly jumped from her position when an Akuma member slammed a broad sword in the same spot she once stood. The whole building was destroyed and amongst the rubble stood Jun with his sword swung over his shoulder.

"He always goes a little bit overboard." came a falsely amused voice from an alleyway between Kiba and the two Hyuugas. From the shadows came out another Akuma member named Yuuto, Jun's former Suna teammate. He glanced around at everyone before landing and staying on them. "Oh. . . so this is where you guys were. We tore through half the village looking for you two. How things going? Have we worked everything out?" There was a dangerous edge to his last sentence that was barely heard underneath the sickly sweet tone he used.

"We have yet to come to a _compromise_." Sasuke stated, the last word coming out in a sneer.

Jun shifted. "There's nothing to compromise about." His whole body language screaming hostile in every way. "It's fucking simple. Any idiot can understand it. . . They give them back or we destroy their whole fucking village."

Sasuke didn't have any patience when he entered Konoha and no patience has miraculously grown since then either. So he was in no mood to deal with Jun's mouth in any way. He turned his glare away from the Hyuugas and directed it at Jun. But before he could put Jun in his place in a very threatening manner, a familiar chakra signature made itself known from behind him and Gaara.

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Takai." An equally familiar voice spoke. "I believe I'm more than willing to meet your demands."

He turned and there was Kakashi standing fully dressed in Hokage robes with Shikamaru by his side. A wave of fury instantly washed over him at the sight of his former sensei. "Kakashi."

* * *

><p>Fire and wind.<p>

The two affinities complimented each other perfectly. . .

Flames engulfed the small confines of the hall and formed into two enormous heads of a dragon. It was magnificent, and if the blazing inferno wasn't directed at them with every intent to kill, Itachi might have been proud.

Just as a screeching howl sounded, he swirled on the ball of his heel and sped down the hallway with Ruri and Miki right beside him. By the scorching heat radiating off his back, it was a clear sign that the fire was closer than he was comfortable with. And with no way to dodge to the side from its fiery flames, their only salvation was the turnoff at the end of the hall. Although he vaguely wondered if he should be more worried about their cloaks catching on fire before then, because he was almost positive that he could smell some singeing cloth.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit. . ." Miki cursed in a form of a mantra. Unlike his unusual silence he was previously keeping, his mouth was now running in various streams of profanity.

It wasn't long before the end of the hall came rushing up, and they dove to the right just one second before the two-headed dragon crashed violently into the wall. The impact produced a shockwave that forcibly sent them flying forward. Itachi flipped himself and graciously landed on his feet, as did Ruri. Miki on the other hand, landed hard on his ass.

"Fucking hell, I'm on fire!" Miki yelled while frantically patting down the end of his cloak where a few inches were already burnt off. So, he was right. Unfortunately though, Miki wasn't the only one. But his own was must smaller and only required one step of his foot to put it out. Ruri only acquired a seared fringe.

Standing straight, he glared through the thick smoke. "Fight her." he ordered the other two, knowing that Ruri – and maybe even Miki – would be reluctant to strike her. And if he was being honest, he was too. "Kill her if you must."

He felt Ruri's stare, but she had no time to voice her shock, because Asuka's voice spoke in a mock whine while stepping out of the smoke. "Ahhh. . . Are you gonna hurt me, Uncle 'Tachi? Your own niece?"

"You're not my niece." he responded coldly, unconvinced of even his own words. But he ignored that unpleasant ache in his chest and focused on the threat she currently was. "You're nothing but what they created now."

Her face contorted in a mixture of pain and anger, her hands clenching into fists by her sides. "You're just like father." she sneered with an underlying brokenness, "Father never wanted me either."

Confusion sprouted in Itachi's mind for a split second until it all made sense in the next. They manipulated her. Ouroboros turned Asuka against the parent they knew would survive while allowing her to adore the other they knew would die from their injection before they even put their plan into motion. She was yet another pawn in Ouroboros schemes. "Is that what they told you?" he asked her, "Just like your father. . . you _foolish_ child."

Apparently comparing her to a man she supposedly hates fueled the anger that greatly resembled Sasuke's own violent nature. "I'm nothing like him." she argued through clenched teeth. Yet the glowering glare he was receiving loudly spoke otherwise.

"Oh. . . and you think you're more like your mother?" he spoke with purposeful uncertainty. And honestly if it wasn't for her blonde hair, small female body and everything else that made her look non-human, he would swear that he was dealing with another vengeful twelve year old Sasuke. That's how much they resembled in both physical and emotional characteristics. "You're wrong. That destructive anger you're feeling, you get all that from your father; Sasuke."

He was prepared when fire sparked into life with her deepening fury, he sped forward with kunai in hand and took a swipe at her. She jerked herself back, but not far enough where her cheek wasn't cut shallowly. She stumbled a couple of steps, a small amount of blood trickled from the cut as she stared at him with unique shock that he had hurt her. He tried to deny the cringe that occurred at such a look, but couldn't ignore the pang of guilt when her expression morphed to one of betrayal. He didn't back down though. Just like his clan's treachery, some things weren't meant to let pass. Even when technically she was innocent. . .

_Forgive me. . ._

Without giving her time to compose herself, he brought his hand back down for another swipe of his kunai. She effectively blocked his arm with her own artificial one, her facial features falling flatly in true Uchiha fashion. Their bodies then twisted in rapid succession of fierce strikes and defensive blocks. _Professionally trained_, crossed his mind as she collapsed into a split to avoid a kick to the head. She maneuvered herself into a roll and got back on her feet, but she was too slow. He crashed the bottom of his foot into her midsection, and with a cry she was sent sailing through the air and skidding across the scorched floor. She may have the training, but she lacked the experience.

Her breathing was labored as she pulled herself from the ground and sat in a crouched position, the white dress she wore was filthy from the soot of the scorch marks. Compared to hers, his breathing was perfectly even and stood with a air of calm around him. She scowled, her eyes showing the inadequacy she felt and the hurt she was attempting to hide deep within.

There was a sigh behind him, then Ruri walked up and stood by his side, placing her hand on his arm. "Itachi-san, you shouldn't be the only one to deal with her."

It was almost immediate that Asuka reacted to those words by her features darkening. "And who the hell are you to _deal_ with me?" There was indignant denial in her tone that made her sound like an imprudent child.

Ruri took a few steps forward and spoke to Asuka calmly, "My name's Ishikawa Ruri. I was Taichou's midwife when you were born." There was a short pause of hesitation where it clearly spoke of her reluctance in the situation. "I'm so sorry Asuka-chan, but I understand what Itachi-san is doing." She always did. No matter how much he refuses to acknowledge her acceptance of his behavior, she was always the one who understood the reasoning behind the cruelness of his actions. "You don't belong here. . . What's dead should remain dead."

It was then that Miki came forward with his long dagger loose in his hand, saying in a low and solemn voice, "Some things. . . just aren't meant for a second chance."

This was the same decision Itachi was forced to make with Naruto when they found out about Ouroboros' plans. _There are no second chances in living. . ._ that's what Naruto told him with a sad smile. He had despised that about the blond, that acceptance of his fate with far too open arms. But would he say the same thing if he knew his daughter was the one who was on the line? He doubted it. That's how Naruto was. . . when it came to his own life he could easily throw it away, but someone he loved, he would fight to the death to protect that person no matter the circumstances.

For the first time in all the three years since his death, he was thankful that Naruto wasn't alive to witness this act of treachery. For one of the things he had cherished in his life was the trust that Naruto held in him, and he was sure that this would have certainly shattered it.

"Go ahead and try to kill me." Asuka said with disdain while rising to her feet. "I'll go down screaming." In a blur of speed, her hands formed seals, and without so much as a word from her, flames flickered into life. Those flames grew rapidly into a giant fireball that once released, blazed its way down the hall.

Miki and Ruri took opposite walls and dashed toward Asuka, just avoiding the flames by centimeters. Itachi remained stationary, forming his own hand seals and muttering under his breath, "Katon-Housenka no jutsu." Medium-sized fireballs formed with hidden shuriken in there flames and countered most of Asuka's fireball. He carelessly threw off his cloak to shield himself from the rest of fiery sparks, then the tattered material fell to the floor next to his fallen mask.

Even before the smoke cleared, the sounds of fighting were distinctly heard. He brutally shoved down a bout of protectiveness that threatened to rise and quickly advanced on the battle. He only made it within a yard of the trio before a fierce circulation of wind surrounded Asuka and then blew outwards in powerful gusts. Focusing chakra into his feet, he stayed rooted to the ground while using his arms to protect his face. He squinted against the wind to see Ruri crash violently through a wall and Miki skid along the floor past him.

When the wind died down, Asuka stood in the middle of the wreckage that affected the whole hallway and the maelstrom of dust that hung in the air. He flinched at the shuriken he saw deeply imbedded in her right shoulder where human flesh still remained. Blood seeped out, staining all the way down her arm and the front of her dress. It was one of his own, he knew, one from his last jutsu that had caused that injury. It caused a sense of shame that he purposely ignored in preference to getting what needed to be done over with. It was better this way. . . At least then, maybe his little brother won't find out about her extended existence.

Bringing out a scroll, he unrolled it while at the same time biting his thumb, then smeared a strip of blood against the parchment. With a flicked of his wrist, the scroll rerolled and he performed a series of hand seals. It unsealed a narrow sword he rarely uses. Asuka took a step back as he grasp the hilt and looked at her without care. There was a deep loathing present in his gut, one that hated to know that he was going to be the last thing she saw. His indifferent features of a man who was suppose to be her family. Who was suppose to care for her and protect her. . . not be the one who killed her. And he could see that perfectly reflected in the depths of her mismatched eyes.

He could feel Miki lingering behind him, staring at him with what he would guess was nothing more than disgust. It wasn't like he deserved anything better. Ruri, on the other side of Asuka, came stumbling through the made hole with mask unseen and hood down. Her usually tightly braided hair was disheveled and her face was marked with cuts and forming bruises. She held onto the damaged wall for support while she glanced back and forth between the sword in his hand and Asuka.

Asuka took another step back as he got closer. For all the brave words she spoke, inside she was still a scared child merely seeking some form of acceptance. Just like Naruto had. . .

_I'm sorry. . . _he thought regrettably, not only to her but also to her long passed mother.

He brought his arm back, brandishing his sword and fully prepared to behead her. He hesitated, and in that moment's hesitation she conjured a whirlwind around her. It increased in speed and when it dispersed, she was gone.

A silent breath of relief escaped him as he relaxed his arm back down to his side. Then there was movement that caught his attention and he saw that it was a fluttering piece of paper falling down to the floor.

"You think she's still in the building?" Miki asked, sounding a little less than enthusiastic if she was.

"No." he answered, distracted by the paper now laying on the floor. He bent down and picked it up, finding that it was actually a photo of both Naruto and Sasuke. It was worn and it looked like it had been ripped in half between Naruto and Sasuke at one point in time, then taped back together. He smiled a small smile. . . maybe Asuka doesn't hate her father as much as she thinks she does.

* * *

><p>"Kakashi."<p>

Sasuke's mounting anger brimmed and then overflowed in lightning that crackled along his skin. This reaction resulted in Kiba, Neji, and Hinata to jump in front of the Hokage to defend while Kakashi put his hands up in a motion of mock surrender. "Maa maa. . . No need for you all to get your panties in a twist." Shikamaru was the only one who didn't even bother to move. He just continued to stare in the other direction in a droopy daze of indifference.

"Hinata. . ." Kakashi spoke, his attention now on the young Hyuuga Heiress. "I believe the hospital should be in need of your assistance."

She didn't move. "Forgive my disobedience Hokage-sama, but I refuse to leave you in such company. And besides, I already know of Uchiha Sasuke being the one in front of me."

Most of the Konoha shinobi turned and stared directly at Kiba, who scratched his neck nervously. "I kind of told her a while back." he admitted sheepishly. "What?! She's my wife! It's not like I could keep it from her!" When the others continued to stare, he continued with, "Alright! She pressured me by threatening to withhold sex! I'm weak man, I know!" All but Neji looked away with shaking heads. Neji continued to stare with most likely a glare present underneath his mask. "And she already suspected before I even told her anyway." Kiba finished with a shrug of his shoulders.

During Konoha's distraction, Jun and Yuuto came to stand side by side on the other side of Gaara, forming a straight line of Akuma members across the village street.

Kakashi stepped from behind his guards and into the open, taking off his Hokage hat along the way. If Sasuke wasn't so furious and using great strength to repress his lightning beneath his skin then he might have found it weird seeing him in such an outfit. But as it was he wasn't seeing the clothes, he was seeing the pillar of Konoha who took his sons. Even as Kakashi looked at him with understanding and sadness, all he could feel was his blood boiling.

The expression he received from Kakashi wasn't as false as many of his previous ones. "It's good to see you again Sasuke."

He scoffed at the unwanted pleasantries. "Where are they?"

Confusion shadowed the older man's face. "They?" Which had Sasuke's eyes narrowing in seething anger in the man's blatant dishonestly.

"Don't fucking act stupid you prick!" Jun shouted, pointing his broad sword at Kakashi. "Where the fuck are they?!"

The confusion never left Kakashi's face. "Again I ask. . . _They_?"

It wasn't hard to tell that Jun was ready to explode and attack Kakashi. And if it wasn't for Yuuto placing his hand on the shorter man's shoulder he might have already. Sasuke could understand Jun's anger, but there was a time to unleash it and a time when to restrain it. "Kijin." he warned. There was a sharp intake of breath that indicated Jun was ready to argue. "Be silent." And unlike his younger days where he would just as easily argue back against an order, now he merely grumbled under his breath and kept quiet.

"Uchiha did mention earlier about 'return the _ones_ we've taken'." Neji stated, then directed his next question to him. "Are you assuming we have more than one?"

"With Hyuuga's kunai as a neon sign – why yes I'm _assuming_ Konoha has my two sons and another prominent Akuma member." he sneered through gritting teeth and clenching jaw. He saw that Shikamaru's attention had averted from the clouds and onto the situation.

"You lie!" Hinata accused. "The Hyuuga would've had nothing to do with this."

Kiba placed his hand on the woman's shoulder and she visibly relaxed. "Calm yourself Hinata. His words don't fucking matter." his voice betraying evident anger. "He's just a missing nin willing to blame whoever to get what he wants."

His eyebrow lifted at the dog's audacity, then remembered the others couldn't even see it under his mask. He glanced over at Gaara and gave the shorter man a curt nod. The red head then took out an object from under his cloak, which had the Konoha shinobi tensing, and flipped it through the air where it would land a few feet from their feet. It was the specialized Hyuuga kunai they found in Tsunade's house.

Neji was the one who came forward and picked up the kunai to examine it. "It's Hyuuga." he stated before handing it over to Hinata. The astonishment on her face was a little satisfying.

"Yes, I believe I would still recognize a Hyuuga kunai." Gaara spoke for the first time since arrival. "Apparently the clan has turned just as traitorous as some of it's members." Those words caused Neji to flinch like he was suddenly struck.

"We weren't aware." Hinata said tersely, her hand clenching around the kunai.

"That's a commonplace in Konoha, now isn't it?" Sasuke deadpanned.

Kakashi coughed into his hand, catching everyone's attention. "That matter will be investigated thoroughly later." All along his features schooled and devoid of anything revealing. "Although Sasuke, I think there's a misunderstanding going on here. . . We only have one of your sons, Aki."

Once again his fury overtook him and his lightning crackled outside of his body threatening. "Don't fuck with me Kakashi. The destruction won't end until I get my sons and the Akuma member back." Still Kakashi appeared unfazed.

"He's telling the truth." Shikamaru spoke up. "The Council members who were responsible were interrogated mercilessly. The mission report they received stated there had been a struggle before their men even arrived. Tsunade-sama had already been fatally wounded and Aki was found hidden in a closet on the bottom floor. There was no one else in the house."

"You fucking expect us to –" Jun began but was instantly cut off.

"Kijin, shut up." Sasuke snapped, the seed of doubt in place along with a creeping suspicion that had his blood running cold. _Could it be. . ._ "You didn't even know the Hyuugas were involved. How do you expect me to believe what you say?" He prayed that Shikamaru was lying, because if Kyosuke and Cho were with _them_, then. . . His chest seized, unable to imagine the consequences of that being true.

Kakashi let out a sound that made it seem like he was doing to answer, but stopped when someone else unseen yelled out, "Ow!" Then Aki came running out from around a corner of a nearby alleyway toward him with Sakura hot on his tail. "He bit me!" she hollered, indignant.

"Tou-san!" Aki called.

Protective instincts surged rapidly and he gripped the hilt of Kusanagi in preparation to protect his son. The sand around his feet shifted ominously also and glided along the ground in support. He saw the second that Kiba and Neji flinched to stop Aki from going any further, and just as he was planning to move and make them regret they ever touched his son, Kakashi said, "Let the boy pass. . . Let him go to his father." The two stepped back then and Sakura stopped her pursuit.

Sand rushed forward and built a protective shield behind Aki as he passed the Konoha shinobi. Sasuke dropped his sword and tore away the mask he knew had always frightened Aki before stepping forward and bending down to sweep his son into his arms. There was a gasp that he disregarded while small arms wrapped around his neck and a moistened face buried itself in the junction of his neck and shoulder.

"Tou-san. . ." came a tear-filled whimper.

He hugged his son close to his chest, relishing in the fact that his youngest was safe. Just having him in his hold, it eased the heavy weight in his chest by a miniscule fraction. The gripping fear was still there for his oldest. . . Kyosuke. . . who he was becoming more convinced wasn't even in Konoha.

"Is he all right?" Yuuto asked from down the line. "He wasn't hurt, was he?" his voice dropping dangerously at the end.

He lifted his head from where he had his face buried in Aki's hair, inhaling his scent for reassurance of his presence. He ran his hand softly through those raven locks, then down to gently rub his back before saying, "It's doesn't appear so."

"I wouldn't have your son hurt, Sasuke." Kakashi said, sounding like he had been insulted.

For a second he had forgotten where he was. . . His eyes snapped up without his Sharingan activated and glared at the older man. "This coming from a man who allowed a kidnapping of an Akuma's son to pass right under his nose." he retorted, ignoring the flabbergasted expressions of the others who were bearing witness to his appearance after nearly a decade.

"You want proof that Konoha didn't also kidnap Kyosuke and the other member?" Shikamaru announced all of the sudden. Either to deter another argument or to delay the eruption that threatened to burst out of Jun. "You have the sole witness to what happened in that house in your grasp." His eyes narrowed further at the genus before diverting and staring down at the side of his son's head in thought. "He wouldn't talk to us."

Sasuke stared at his son for a long moment, debating if he should speak to Aki now or wait until later when he was sure he was out of harms way. He sighed. . . it wasn't like he could leave Konoha without knowing either way. It would give the village too much time to form a defense if Aki told him that Kyosuke and Cho were still within its walls.

Making up his mind, he shifted Aki where all of his son's weight was on his left arm while he used his right arm to pull Aki from his neck. He didn't struggle, apparently knowing he wasn't going to be put down, and leaned back against the right hand now supporting him from falling backward. Aki rubbed his eyes sleepily, "I'm tired, Tou-san." He was exhausted. . . Sasuke could tell by the drowsy, stormy blues staring back at him. Normally Aki's Sharingan would be activated in this kind of situation that would cause him to feel frightened, but since it wasn't, it could only mean that it was activated the entire time since his kidnapping. Far too long for his age. . .

"I know, son. . . but I need you to tell me what happened to Kyosuke and Cho."

Aki's face scrunched up in distress. "Aniki. . ." he whined, tears pooling and threatening to fall. "Is Aniki and Cho nee-chan all right? Is Baa-chan all right? She was hurt. . ."

"Aki. . . What happened to Kyosuke and Cho?"

"Those men took them. . . Aniki and Cho nee-chan tried to fight them off, b-but th-they were too strong. . ." The brimming tears fell. "An-Aniki t-told me to st-stay in t-the closet and-and d-don't come out. . . I-I s-s-should've he-helped. . ."

He brought Aki back to his chest and rubbed his back soothingly as he continued to cry into his shoulder. His fear for his oldest thickened to the point where it was hard to breath around, because now he suspected to the almost certainty who the culprits were. "Can you describe the men for me?" he forced himself to ask. To solidify all the pieces that were falling into place.

Aki shook his head no. "The-They a-all were we-wearing white r-robes."

_Ouroboros. . ._

His eyes closed at the realization of what this whole ordeal was meant for. . . A simple distraction. Just like with the massacre of the villagers of Yuugure all those years ago was a distraction for them from Ouroboros's main target. And he fell for it again. They had set it up so perfectly by kidnapping Kyosuke and Cho almost at the same time as Konoha had kidnapped Aki. And with the close timescale he wouldn't be surprised if Ouroboros had a hand in Konoha's part in Aki's kidnapping.

God, he was such a fool. By focusing on Konoha, he gave Ouroboros all the time they needed to disappear with Kyosuke and Cho. He couldn't even begin to think on how they would even locate them. . . His breath stalled – How would he find his son?

"No. . ." Jun tried to deny with a shake of his head. "Fuck no. . . They can't have them." Jun moved toward him, but Yuuto put a hand on his chest to stop him from getting any closer. "Sasuke-sempai, tell me you're not thinking the same thing." There was such desperation usually never heard in the young man's voice. He truly did love Cho. That's why he couldn't give him a false hope that could just as easily turn against him and extract the worst of sufferings.

Instead of answering Jun, he spoke to Gaara. "Signal the others, we're leaving." His lack of response to Jun was answer enough to the man by the way he didn't press the matter.

Gaara gave a curt nod before a burst of sand ascended into the sky and formed into a howling giant fox. A design Naruto came up with many years ago. Once the sand was back to the red head, it picked up his fallen Wolf mask and handed it to him. He forgone lifting his hood back on and merely secured his mask back over his face.

They were turning to leave when Neji took a step forward and reached out, "Gaara. . ." Who didn't turn back and continued his departure.

"Sasuke." Kakashi was next to call out, and unlike Gaara, he took a moment to pause for the man to continue. "I'm sorry about Naruto."

He cringed at the sound of his dobe's name, then turned partly with his Sharingan activating and glanced back at Shikamaru. He was the only one who would have told them, since Itachi had kept the man informed over the years. He narrowed his eyes as Shikamaru mouthed, _'They know nothing about Kyuubi.'_, which he read with his Sharingan.

"Hmn." he grunted in both response to Shikamaru and Kakashi before turning away and taking to the rooftops with the others. The damage to Konoha was significant with demolished buildings and injured Konoha and a few Akuma shinobi – who were being picked up by other members – littering the ruins. They headed to the nearest wall of Konoha while Gaara dealt with the stray attacks with his sand. If only this was the end. . .

But as he thinks about his oldest in Ouroboros's hands, he should have known best of all that the end was never within his reach.


	9. Only One

**Previously in Veils of Deceit. . .**

_There was rarely anything that could truly disturb Uchiha Itachi. He has seen some of the cruelest things ever done in the world, yet none of that could compare to the sight of the young girl before him. "Asuka. . ."_

_*/*/*_

"_What's your business here Akuma?" Neji questioned, his stare straight on Gaara. _

"_You know very well why we're here, Hyuuga." The sneer in Sasuke's voice dripping with cold venom. _

"_You're not permitted to enter Konoha."_

"_Wrong answer."_

_His Kage Bunshin lowered his hand, signaling to the rest of the Akuma members to go ahead. And once the first jutsu was released, chaos ensued. _

_*/*/*_

"_Fight her." Itachi ordered the other two, knowing that Ruri – and maybe even Miki – would be reluctant to strike her. And if he was being honest, he was too. "Kill her if you must."_

_He felt Ruri's stare, but she had no time to voice her shock, because Asuka's voice spoke in a mock whine while stepping out of the smoke. "Ahhh. . . Are you gonna hurt me, Uncle 'Tachi? Your own niece?" _

"_You're not my niece." he responded coldly, unconvinced of even his own words. But he ignored that unpleasant ache in his chest and focused on the threat she currently was. "You're nothing but what they created now." He brought his arm back, brandishing his sword and fully prepared to behead her. He hesitated, and in that moment's hesitation she conjured a whirlwind around her. It increased in speed and when it dispersed, she was gone. _

_*/*/*_

"_Kakashi."_

"_I think there's a misunderstanding going on here. . ." Kakashi said, "We only have one of your sons, Aki." _

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Nine

**Only One**

Night had fallen by the time Itachi, Miki, and Ruri made it back to the compound. Itachi's mind was still clouded with images of his niece even as he entered Level Five. The first thing he noticed upon entrance was the two gurneys lining the walls with an injured man on each one. It was an obvious sign something occurred while they were away.

Ruri immediately approached one. "What happened?" Her hand glowing green, even though she needed a little healing herself.

"An encounter with Konoha." Kyoko answered from a doorway to their right. She still wore a Chinese style dress of yellow and black with an embroidery of flowers, black pants underneath, and shinobi shoes while her red hair was pulled up in a ponytail.

"Kyoko?" Miki asked as she stalked up to him and brutally smacked him over his head. "Ow! What the hell woman?!"

She smacked him again in response and he lifted his arms to protect himself. "That's for making me worried." She then proceeded to smack him again. "That's for not telling me about Sasu-chan's boys and Cho-chan being kidnapped." Then again. "And that's for being an all-around dumbass."

Itachi didn't wait for the next hit she appeared fully prepared to deliver and continued on the route to his office where he suspected his little brother to be. So what Asuka spoke of was the truth; Konoha had kidnapped Aki. But that still didn't explain anything about the happenings with Kyosuke and Cho. . . Who kidnapped them? A chill ran down his spine. . . one name did come to mind.

"You better not've been part of that attack on Konoha." Miki voice came from behind, which meant that both Miki and Kyoko were following him to his destination.

A loud smack sounded that was then followed by an equally loud complaint from Miki. "And if I was you'd just had to deal with it." There was a moment's pause that had Miki grumbling under his breath. "I wasn't though. I found out afterward."

"Where're the kids?"

"They're here securely in the playroom with Aki." Kyoko answered.

He came upon the hall that had his office and saw Kaito and Ran standing in the open doorway. They both sported minor injuries of small abrasions and bruises. With Kaito facing his direction, he was the first to spot them and signal to Ran by a tap on his shoulder of their arrival. Ran turned and grinned in an arrogant manner. "Hey man, you missed all the action." he announced boisterously.

His words were easily ignored as Itachi brushed past them and entered his office. It appeared like a hurricane had barreled through the space without mercy. All stood in disarray with Sasuke, Gaara, Jun and Yuuto as being the culprits who ripped it all apart.

A whistle came from Miki right before he was suddenly slammed back against the wall with an arm pressed tight on his throat. Eyes blazing with the Sharingan glared at him with barely concealed hate, and he vaguely wondered when such hate returned to eyes that for a short period of time looked at him with either annoyance or indifference. But then again. . . maybe the hate had never left. Maybe reading Naruto's file and discovery many of his deceptions had fueled it once again.

"Where the fuck were you?" Sasuke sneered venomously.

Without breaking eye contact, he responded calmly, "We got a little caught up on a mission."

Hope ignited like a flame in the dark depths of the hate. "You came in contact with Ouroboros?"

He knew? How did he know? Automatically he glanced over at the only man left who knew where they were going. He glared at Gaara for that revealed information while the red head merely raised his brow in challenge. He focused back on his little brother, "No." His answer had the arm on his throat pressing harder.

"Really?" Eyes narrowing with suspicion and distrust – another thing he wondered when he lost. "Because I sent a summons to retrieve you all and he came back to inform me that none of your chakra signatures could be found."

Just like that time with Naruto. . . Erecting that sort of security made it apparent Ouroboros didn't want Asuka's presence to be known quite yet. That was all right with him though, because he didn't want Sasuke to get distracted from finding Kyosuke and Cho. Their safety was top priority right now.

"It was merely some lackey with a little bit of trickery up his sleeve. He was only meant to distract." The lie falling from his lips easily.

A disgusted look past over his little brother's features before he was released. The disappearances of Kyosuke and Cho must have been weighing heavily on Sasuke's mind, because normally he would have pushed harder for information. Instead Sasuke moved to his desk and leaned on the wood with both hands, head drooping and body tense.

Itachi glanced over at Miki then and he could clearly see the question in the man's eyes. He shook his head, silently ordering the other to keep silent about the appearance of Asuka. Miki's frown deepened while revulsion spread in every contour of his face. There was no agreement to his actions, but agreement wasn't what he was after. Only silence. . .

Sasuke took a deep breath to gain some semblance of control of his emotions, but it was futile when Itachi spoke, "Tell me what's occurred."

The blatant order caused his fingers to twitch in his desire to wrap them around Itachi's throat. He thought he would be relieved to see his brother alive and relatively undamaged, but the sight of the man only reminded him of what Itachi was willing to take from him. It had his instincts intensifying and peaking dangerously close to dealing with the threat to the existence of his Abikaasa. He gripped the table edge to keep himself from lashing out at a person who could be useful in getting his son back. So instead of answering, he glared back and demanded, "Where's your information on Ouroboros?"

"So Ouroboros has Kyosuke and Cho." Itachi stated while moving around the desk in front of him. He suspected Kyoko was the one who informed Itachi of the two's kidnapping as they came to the office. His silence prompted Itachi to continue speaking, "You were close. . . but I didn't use anything that a Sharingan or Byakugan user could detect." On one of the bookshelves behind the desk, Itachi bent down and simply removed the border around the bottom, revealing several thick folders stashed inside the dense space. He brought them with him as he stood and threw them on the desk. "Everything on Ouroboros I have. Although I doubt they're be of any help."

Sasuke doubted it too. If they were able to find Ouroboros, then they would have already found them. He stared at the pile of folders as Jun and Yuuto took one each to search through. A familiar sense of hopelessness was dowsing his rampant instincts and sinking deep into his bones. He didn't know what to do. . . "How are we going to find them –" He shoved the rest of the files to the floor. "– if we have _nothing_ to work with?"

"Aniki's right here." came Aki's voice from behind him.

He snapped his head around to see Aki kneeling on the floor and pointing at a map that was dropped there haphazardly. _How did he get out of the playroom?_ came the automatic question to mind. It was a secured room where once inside the children couldn't get back out to roam around. He glanced over at Kaito and Ran by the door. "He just walked in." Kaito said, "And since I knew he was yours I didn't stop him."

Then exactly what Aki said registered and his heart pounded with renewed fear. "What did you say, son?"

Big blue eyes looked up at him with so much innocence. "Aniki. . . he's right here." His finger tapping on the map over Tsuchi no Kuni. "You are looking for Aniki? You're going to bring him home?"

He never expected to have to deal with this so soon. He thought he had years, or if he was lucky, it wouldn't had come up at all throughout his son's life. But it was apparent that fate overjoyed in kicking him when he was already so far down there was no hope of ever getting back up. . . because Aki had found his Abikaasa before he was even born. The one person who was now at risk of losing forever and sending his youngest into the same insufferable agony he endured everyday. Such pain he was sure would kill his little boy. . . then he wouldn't just lose one son but two.

"How do you know your brother's there?" Itachi asked as he came and crouched in front of the map before Aki. His brother then glanced back at him and they both shared a look. This might be the only way they would find Kyosuke. He hated it – hated exploiting that connection he wished his son never found.

Aki's brows furrowed in confusion and he shrugged his small shoulders. "I don't know. . . I just do."

"Then you're sure Kyosuke's here." Sasuke asked while pointing to the same spot that Aki's finger was still on. His son nodded and he looked at Miki across the room. "Get the map for Tsuchi no Kuni." Miki didn't waste any time going to the cabinet to his left and digging out a set of maps. He separated them and threw a single one to him. Catching it with ease, Sasuke unrolled the large parchment in front of Aki. He held the curling edges down as he told his son, "Where's your brother now?"

There was no hesitation when Aki pointed to the map, like he was a moth to a flame. "Iwama region." Itachi told Miki, who began to shift through the maps again.

Ruri came walking in with a bandage on her forehead and bruises showing on her jaw. Rei was behind her, stopping in the doorway between Kaito and Ran while Ruri continued forward. "What's going –" Kyoko shushed Ruri and pulled her over to where she stood, whispering in her ear. The woman's eyes widened as she looked at Aki with horrifyingly saddened eyes. Even she understood the terrible fate that could befall upon him. Just like the father. . . his son could have to repeat the history of his parents.

Miki threw the requested map and he caught it, then unrolled it while Itachi threw the other to the side. This time he didn't have to say anything for Aki to seek the location of Kyosuke, he pointed to a spot close by to the border of Ame no Kuni. Itachi immediately snatched the map and looked at the area that Aki indicated. "Tanigawa village." Itachi announced. "We can make it there by this time tomorrow if we push ourselves."

"Then what the fuck are we waiting for?" Jun said, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet to get going.

"Now wait a minute. . ." Ruri said, stepping away from the wall. "We can't just barge in without a plan."

"Plan?" Jun questioned, incredulous. "They don't even know we'll be coming thanks to Kyosuke being Aki's other half. That's got to be something they couldn't anticipate."

"Still. . . we have no idea what to expect from Ouroboros." Ruri insisted, "They could throw anything at us." There was a strange expression the woman wore, one of which he noticed was directed at Itachi. He didn't get a chance to linger on the oddness of it though, since Aki crawled into his lap and grabbed onto his arm while looking out at everyone else.

"I agree with Ruri-san." Kyoko spoke up. "Ouroboros is dangerous. We can't ensure they won't know you're coming."

"You're making them seem like they give us that much fucking credit! They probably think we're not competent enough to even fucking find them!" Jun hollered.

"You stupid brat, you know what they can do! You think they won't use Cho-chan to their own advantage! Are you that arrogant that you'll risk her?!"

"You fucking bitch."

Miki groaned as Kyoko's eyes narrowed, "What did you call me?" her voice dangerously low.

They didn't have time for this stupidity. "Enough." Sasuke ordered in annoyance while standing with Aki in his arms. He was pleased when silence followed. "Miki, Ruri, Jun and Yuuto will be coming with us." Ruri opened her mouth and he immediately intercepted. "There isn't a choice."

"Maybe that's what they're counting on."

_Maybe it is. . ._ but what else were they suppose to do? They had very few, if not just one option. "Gaara, you'll stay and watch over the compound." The man gave a curt nod as reply. "Kyoko, you are to watch the children." She appeared reluctant to agree, but nodded anyway. "And you three are to keep you're mouths shut and follow what Gaara or Kyoko tell you."

"Who the fuck is she anyway?" Ran said mockingly from his position in the doorway. "Does she even have any say around here?"

"A hell a lot more than you do, you little shit." Miki spat, then smirked. "She's a Veteran."

There was a momentary shock that not only registered on Ran's face, but also Rei and Kaito. Ran was the one who recovered the quickest. "No way. . . I doubt she could even take on a fly."

Miki was furious with his jaw clenched and eyes hard, but Kyoko held a restrained semblance of calm and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm more like retired. I was known as Hikko in Akuma." A sweetly fake smile adorning her features.

"She's still your superior." Itachi made clear as he went over to a double door cabinet and dug through it. When he turned back around he had a black cloak and Kyoko's redesigned black and white Dog mask, designating her as an Veteran of Akuma. He approached her and handed the items over to her. "I believe you're going to need these." She smiled uniquely back while Miki looked none too pleased.

"You're the one from the picture." Rei said like she just had an epiphany. All heads turned to her. "The one from Kane-san's desk of the original Akuma with Tatsuo-sama." An uncomfortable silence settled even at the sound of Naruto's Akuma name. "Were you also close to Tatsuo. . . sama. . ." she trailed off and pressed her lips together nervously.

Sasuke had been glaring at the woman for daring to even attempt to start a conversation about his dobe. "We leave in twenty minutes." he said in a clipped tone as he shifted Aki on his hip and made to leave the room. Kaito and Rei obediently moved out of his way while Ran remained, leering at him with a cocky grin. Satisfactorily, he pushed chakra into his foot and caused Ran to topple over to fall face first on the floor with one swift kick. Without stopping, he continued on down the hall, heading toward the playroom.

"You're gonna bring Aniki back, right Tou-san?" Aki asked, his head laying on his shoulder. Before he could reassure his son, Aki continued on, "Cause those men can't keep Aniki. . . Aniki's mine."

His steps faltered from the possessiveness of those words. Similar to ones spoken since his son could talk. It was those several times before that Aki has asked if Kyosuke was his, but at the time he thought it was just another Uchiha trait. The two were close, they were being raised as brothers, there was no reason to question it. Now though, he knew the true depth behind every action. . . and it made him sick at how many signs there actually were.

Exhaling a long breath, he forced himself into accepting the unpleasant news. It wasn't like it could be changed anyway. The connection was permanent. There was no severing it. He had to either accept it or lose his boys. And the latter wasn't really an option. He rubbed his son's back soothingly, "I know he's yours Aki. . . I'll being him back to you."

What else could he do, except what's been keeping him alive all along. . .

Protecting his sons.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Ruri questioned once she and Itachi were alone in his office.<p>

He didn't even stop from picking up documents from the floor when he answered monotonously, "Using the little time there is to clean what's left of my office."

Annoyance crept through her stomach at the purposeful evasion. Itachi knew damn well what she was talking about and he still chose to act ignorant. "Why didn't you tell Sasuke-san about Asuka-chan?"

"And how do you know I didn't?" Again, he didn't bother to face her and instead began to gather paperclips that had fallen.

"Because if you had he wouldn't be so withdrawn."

"Exactly." he said as he swiftly stood and finally faced her with a hard stare. "He would be far too emotional to focus on finding Kyosuke and Cho. And finding those two is top priority compared to the discovery of her."

"So you intend to tell him afterward?" she said, already knowing the answer when Itachi remained silent. She smiled wryly, "Of course not. You would rather deal with the matter without him finding out."

"Why cause him unnecessary heartache." he stated simply as he proceeded in cleanup.

She frowned at his back, feeling like everything was falling apart. It was all in the simple things that originally made up Akuma that kept the first seven close. Because if there was no trust between the Veterans, then Akuma would have collapsed long ago. Now though. . . that very foundation that Akuma has relied on was crumbling right from under their feet. "You think Taichou would have approved of this course of action?"

Itachi's whole body visibly tensed, and for a second, she wondered if she might have crossed the line by bringing Naruto into the conversation. And as Itachi stood straight and turned to direct a deadly glare of his Sharingan, she knew she had. "Naruto's dead." he stated cruelly that had her flinching. Those memories of his passing still being vivid in her mind along with the blood that stained her hands from the autopsy that followed. "His approval isn't required."

That was true but. . . Naruto was the one who kept their team together. And now that he was gone it was becoming quite evident how he affected each and every one of them in his own way. They weren't what they use to be. . . none of them were. . . but especially Sasuke and especially the man standing before her.

The intensity of his glare didn't lessen even as he closed the distance between them. When he stood only a couple feet from her, he didn't speak right off. She stood her ground and stared back unflinching into the slowly spinning Sharingan that's never been directed at her before with such malice. It spoke of immediate danger if one didn't comply to his commands. "You will not speak another word of Asuka after we're done here. I will not have Sasuke fretting over a child he's already morn for because you believe it to be the right thing to do."

Even if it was wrong. . . Even if silence was going to create a larger chasm in Akuma. . . she would keep quiet. She was far too loyal to the eldest Uchiha to betray his orders. Even though at times like these that loyalty wasn't deserved. She guessed it didn't matter anymore. . . with Naruto gone she would always choose to follow Itachi's lead. She gave a curt nod as her confirmation of secrecy. Truthfully, there really wasn't any turn back at any point to all the other lies that's been told. Why would she think that one more was going to make much of a difference?

He stared intently for another moment before he turned toward the office door and began walking towards it. He stopped at the door and threw over his shoulder in the coldest voice she hasn't heard in a long while. "And don't ever try to use Naruto against me again." He left then, leaving her alone in the still messy office.

Sighing, she slump against the wall, suddenly tired. Staring at the floor, an image of Naruto flashed through her mind and she knew the blond would be far from pleased with them. _But there's no going back. . ._ she thought as she pushed the image out of her mind. Yet the feeling of guilt lingered, clawing and biting in her chest. She soon managed to ignore it and pushed herself away from the wall to leave.

She would be surprised if Akuma survived the treachery they were willing to make against the one person Itachi was trying so hard to save. Out of pure rage, Uchiha Sasuke would bring it all down. . . she was sure of it.

* * *

><p>The coolness of the water didn't help the chaotic thoughts running through his head. Miki placed his hands on either side of the sink and leaned against it, allowing the water to freely slide down his face and drip off his chin. He lifted his gaze and frowned at himself in the bathroom mirror.<p>

"_Go ahead and try to kill me." The small girl spoke with thick disdain that skillfully hid the fear and betrayal just beneath the surface. "I'll go down screaming."_

He closed his eyes in an attempt to block out the memories of hours ago, but it was futile since the images only grew in color and depth. God, she had been just a little girl. One with so many similarities to her parents that it made him sick just knowing what their intentions were. They were going to kill her. . . And for what, being used so heinously by a group that killed her mother.

He tried to rationalize it by telling himself that she shouldn't exist – that it went against the natural order of life and death. But who the hell was he trying to fool. . . Especially with every look he couldn't help but see his own daughter in her place.

His own paternal instincts was the reason why he couldn't agree with Itachi on leaving Sasuke out of knowing about Asuka. He may not agree with half of Itachi's decisions regarding his brother, but this one went too far. One does not mess with a man's child. No matter if you're family or not there was a certain line that all others must stand behind. Itachi failed to stay behind that line, as did he and Ruri. And that failure could cause serious consequences. . .

Because what would he have done if it was his own daughter?

Kill anyone who tried to harm her.

A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts, banging his knee against the edge of the toilet. "Miki. . . it's almost time leave." came Kyoko's voice through the door. He cursed colorfully as he wobbled over and unlocked it. The door damn near smacked him in the face when it was opened and Kyoko stepped in. "What happened to you?" she asked incredulously while looking around the bathroom like there was some intruder hidden in the miniscule space.

"I hit my knee on the toilet." he grumbled, turning away from her while nursing his bruising knee.

There was moment of silence with her stare burning on his back before she spoke, "You've been acting odd since you came back. . ." He forced his body to remain calm and not betray the erratic beat of his heart. "Did something else happen on the mission?"

He considered telling her the truth, but he was no fool – contrary to the many acts of stupidity may portray. There was no way in hell he was going to involve his family in the mess he's waist deep in. Fuck, he was far from being happy that his wife and kids were there within the same walls as Sasuke, who soon would be forced into a position to turn on them. He wanted his family no where near when that time came around, because there was no telling what Sasuke would do.

"Nah. . . it's just as Itachi said." he lied as he turned to face her. "I'm just tired."

Her frown deepened and he could see she hadn't believed an ounce of what he just said. He didn't let it show though as he moved to walk around her. She placed her hand on his chest, stopping him. "I usually don't ask for the truth when you lie. . . but there seems to be something different about this one. What happened on that mission, Miki?"

Gently, he grabbed her wrist and removed her hand from him. "Nothing happened." he said, placing a chaste kiss on her lips before passing her and exiting the bathroom.

There were no more choices left. All that was left was to follow through with the ones that's already been made. . . alone. Because he was the only one who was going to make a pact with the devil.

If only he was sure that he was going to come out of it alive. . .

* * *

><p>Sasuke stood outside the playroom looking through the wide windows at his son failing to get rest. He's been standing there for the past fifteen minutes merely staring at Aki, watching him as he withdrew within himself. With inheriting a lot of Naruto's personality, Aki was normally a bright and happy child. . . but he could see how he was wilting with every passing moment.<p>

If he didn't save Kyosuke, then he was going to lose both his sons – that's what kept repeating over and over in his mind. And he wouldn't have been able to handle it if he lost one son, let alone two. It sent him past the point of worrying, there was too much at stake to allow his emotions to affect him now.

He felt Itachi approach and his body automatically tensed at his brother's presence. He had to remind himself as Itachi stopped and stood beside him that the man was useful in getting his son back. "You should be thankful they're not blood related." Itachi said casually, speaking of the bond his two sons held. "That happened once with fraternal twins."

"Tsunade's dead." he responded with a complete change of subject. He couldn't talk about his sons. Especially not with someone his instincts urged him to kill.

There was a moment of silence before Itachi spoke again. "That's. . . unfortunate. I'm assuming it happened at the time of the abductions."

"Hmn."

"And the body?"

"In the morgue."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Itachi nod in acknowledgment. "So if Ruri-san ventured into that section of the department, I should be expecting a scream." his voice calm and indifferent.

He glared sideways at his brother, knowing exactly what the other was trying to do. He was trying to lighten the strained atmosphere between them, but it was only accomplishing the complete opposite. His Sharingan activate as he turned to fully face Itachi, "What are you trying to pull, Itachi? Are you enjoying this act of yours? Well this brotherly shit stops now. . . I know exactly what you're planning to do."

Itachi turned to him with a questionable eyebrow raised, which had him restraining himself from striking that feign ignorance off his brother's face. "And what am I planning, otoutou?" His calm demeanor only fueling Sasuke's anger further.

He gripped the collar of Itachi's cloak and stepped into his personal space, sneering, "You want to take away my only chance to get _him_ back."

There was no change in Itachi's expression as he leaned in closer. "There is no chance." he said evenly, "You can't bring back the dead." Those simple words shocked him to his very core. . . causing his eyes to widen and his hold to loosen. Itachi removed his hand from his cloak and went to move around him. "The sooner you learn that the better off you'll be."

_I couldn't end up any worse_. . . he thought even as Itachi continued down the hallway. He remained rooted to the spot, but no matter how hard it was to hear Itachi speak of his Dobe's death so flippantly, his resolve didn't waver – his instincts wouldn't allow it. "I'll do everything in my power to stop you."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." came Itachi's reply.

He turned around then to glare at his brother's back, but instead saw further ahead of Itachi that Jun, Yuuto, Ruri, Miki, and Kyoko were already waiting for them. The sight of them sent his anxiety soaring, resulting in his other chaotic emotions to be temporarily overshadowed.

Because it was time. . . and the next several hours would determine if he lost the last two people he loved.


	10. The Beginning of The End Part One

**Previously in Veils of Deceit. . .**

"_So Ouroboros has Kyosuke and Cho." Itachi stated, taking the files as he stood and threw them on the desk. "Everything on Ouroboros I have. Although I doubt they're be of any help."_

"_How are we going to find them –" Sasuke shoved the rest of the files to the floor. "– if we have nothing to work with?"_

"_Aniki's right here." came Aki's voice from behind him._

"_Tanigawa village." Itachi announced. "We can make it there by this time tomorrow if we push ourselves."_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

NOTE: I know it's been forever since I updated, but I guess it's better late than never. I hope you enjoy!

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Ten

**The Beginning of The End**

**Part One**

There was no difficulty in breaching Ouroboros's hideout once they arrived and found there were no guards present. Actually, in Sasuke's option, it was far too easy to get inside the building. It had him more on edge than usual as they traveled down a dimly lit corridor. His gut kept telling him it was a trap, but he forced himself to ignore the feeling and continue moving forward. His son was there. . . he wouldn't leave without knowing one way or another.

An intersection came up and Itachi had them pausing. Itachi pointed forward while staring at him, then pointed to himself before pointing down the left corridor. They were splitting up into two groups of three. With a curt nod exchanged between him and his brother they separated - Itachi, Jun, and Yuuto turned down the left corridor while he, Miki, and Ruri continued down the one they were on.

It was eerily quiet, except for the sound of heavy breathing coming through the headset they all wore. He vaguely suspected that it was Miki, but didn't linger on the thought as they turned down another corridor. The lighting was worse than the previous one with two working wall lights on the right and one flickering light on the left.

A faint noise came from up ahead, which had him stopping and looking at all corners with his Sharingan. There was no sign of anything and the noise had disappeared. He took two more cautious steps forward and the noise returned, but too low to hear properly. He reached back and yanked Miki to him by the collar of his cloak, issuing an indignant yelp from the other man. "Breath more quietly." he ordered Miki next to his ear. He received a nod in returned, and almost instantly the annoying breathing coming through the headset lessened sufficiently.

He returned his attention back to the direction where the noise had come from and took another step forward. The noise was back and now he could tell that it resembled a growl. Still, there was nothing else in the corridor. The only thing he could deduce was that it was hiding around the only turnoff there was.

Keeping his eyes on the turnoff, he began to walk toward it. The growling grew in volume the closer he got. He halted in his tracks several feet away when a clawed hand shot out and grabbed onto the wall. The claws embedded themselves in the stone wall without fail and then curled in to draw back, creating four deep lines in the wall. He took a slow step back and summoned a kunai from his wrist sigils, feeling the danger even if the chakra was concealed.

"What the hell is that?" Miki whispered.

"_You found something?"_ came Itachi's voice over the headset.

No one responded as a head came out from around the corner and a molten eye was revealed. It was in that moment that an enormous wave of chakra crashed into them. Sasuke's eyes widened at the swirls of the familiar green chakra that extended violently outward. _No. . ._ A boy slowly crawled on all fours out from around the corner with lips snarling and saliva sliding and dripping off his chin. _Not my little boy. . ._

Kyosuke stopped in the middle of the corridor, back hunching in a defensive manner and claws digging into the hard floor with a single tail protruding from his backside. There was no recognition in the animalistic features of his son, only the primal instincts of the Bijuu seemed to be what was left – no glimpse of Kyosuke could be seen at all. What did Ouroboros do to him?

Another flare of chakra snapped him out of his induced shock and he ready himself for what he could tell was going to be the fight for his son's life. Because he couldn't lose him. . . He couldn't lose either of his sons.

* * *

><p>Itachi noticed the light was brighter in the corridor they were traveling down than the last one. It was a vague acknowledgment before the loud breathing of who he presumed was Miki thankfully quieted down after Sasuke threatened him. Then Miki's voice came over the headset, <em>"What the hell is that?"<em>

"You found something?" The only response he received was the enormous wave of chakra that exploded outward. _Kyosuke. . ._ Screeching static burst from the headsets, resulting in all three of them to yank them from their ears. Once it stopped, Itachi put his ear piece back on and said, "Takai, what did you find?" When there was no reply he cursed, figuring the overflowing energy destroyed the devices. He removed the headset and placed it in his pocket for possible later fixing. "They're no use. We'll have to go back."

He was ready to turn around and head back to where Sasuke was when a shrill scratching, like nails on a chalkboard, rang through the air. A slow leak of familiar chakra had him facing down the hallway at the approaching figure. Cho walked slowly with only a thin hospital gown covering her small frame and her long black hair loose, obscuring her face. Even from a distance, he could see the blood that ran from between her thighs and down her legs, leaving a small trail on the floor behind her. Nausea twisted his stomach at the many different scenarios that could have occurred for that to happen.

Instinct had him restraining Jun from rushing to Cho, whose chakra gradually rose the closer she got. The chakra thickened, becoming visible and swirling around her in a golden spiral. The power of her Bijuu. . .

His body tensed when she stopped several yards from them and cocked her head at a strange angle. Her hair parted, revealing the violet color of her right eye. He could see the basic primal instincts within it's depth and their presence apparently proved a threat by the lifting of her lip, a snarl forming. They were in trouble. Going up against a Jinchuuriki powered by their Bijuu was never an easy task. It was more like a dangerous game of roulette, never knowing if you were going to live or die. It made him wonder if Ruri was right and Ouroboros somehow anticipated their quick arrival. Or they were merely convenient for some twisted experiment they were conducting.

Either way it still posed a problem on how they were going to subdue her without getting themselves killed. He just had to get close enough and pray his Sharingan would work on a Jinchuuriki other than Naruto.

* * *

><p>A sharp dodge and a roll forward brought Sasuke right next to his son only to have to flip himself back from a chakra swipe to his torso. The flow of deep green chakra smashed through the wall to his left, tearing down a good portion of it. He landed on his feet a couple yards down the hall and cursed under his breath at his inability to get the right angle. It was like the animal knew he was trying to subdue him with his Sharingan.<p>

Fear. . . It pumped thickly through his veins and caused some of his actions to become reckless. He was truly afraid of not winning this fight against his own son. He needed to win. There was no other option. He was forced to move again and while he evaded the chakra blows he summoned two windmill shurikens from his wrist sigils, secretly attaching shinobi wire to them. When he crossed paths with Ruri he signaled to her for a distraction, which in turn she signaled to Miki to do the same.

Miki formed hand-seals silently and then slammed his fist straight into the floor. Upon impact a whirlwind of sleet and ice exploded outward, causing the temperature to drop drastically and visibility to decrease to near blinding with the poor lighting. Normally both would be a disadvantage – even if it was just minor – to a shinobi, but a Bijuu-empowered boy it didn't affect at all. But he didn't expect it to. It was the chakra that was infused in the sleet and ice that he was relying on to help cover up his presence.

With his Sharingan he caught sight of Ruri gathering a large amount of chakra into the palms of her hands where a few dozen senbon lay. The act effectively caught the attention of Kyosuke and at the same moment as she threw the senbons, he threw his two windmill shurikens. While Kyosuke dealt with the senbons the windmill shurikens twirled around Kyosuke, tightly binding him with shinobi wire.

He knew that wouldn't be enough to subdue him, but before he could take any other action, Kyosuke's chakra lashed out. It resulted in the bindings snapping like they were nothing and the floor to crack until the it collapsed from under their feet.

* * *

><p>"Let me go." Jun demanded from where Itachi was restraining him.<p>

Itachi simply said, "No."

Jun gave an inhuman growl and increased his struggling. "Let me the fuck go."

Losing his renowned patience, Itachi jerked Jun so he could glare at the boy in the eye with his activated Sharingan. "That isn't Cho right now. Nanabi won't hesitant to kill you."

Jun's face fell then, revealing the vulnerable boy that lived underneath his fierce facade. "But it's Cho."

He knew what he was really trying to say. Jun couldn't stand the thought of hurting Cho. He could understand by observing the relationship that Sasuke and Naruto had, but he's learned quite early on that fate was a cruel woman. "Sometimes you have to hurt the one you love."

His words had Jun stilling while his face hardened, showing none of the emotions that just seconds before flooded his features. That was good. Jun would need that resolve to fight against Cho and not get himself killed.

The whole building shoot and what sounded like a cave-in could be heard from the distance. He could guess that it was the others dealing with Kyosuke. He hoped they were dealing with only Kyosuke and no one else. He couldn't ponder on that problem for long, because his own problem shifted her chakra ominously, grabbing his complete attention.

Cho's back hunched and she hissed at them threatening. Then she charged.

Itachi roughly shoved Jun to one side where Yuuto stood while he dodged in the opposite direction. Deftly he brought out a dozen kunai, loading them with chakra before throwing them at the threat. The kunai caught fire after a series of hand seals as they barreled toward her. She opened her mouth and screamed out a stream of compressed chakra to the counter them. His eyes widened at the chakra for not only annihilating the kunai, but continuing on to him.

There was no time get out of the way. He took the blow fully to the chest, sending him crashing through the wall behind him and knocking the wind right out of him. He attempted to slow himself down by twisting his body and digging his foot into the floor, but it didn't stop him was colliding into the next wall that stopped him completely. Pushing himself up, he softly gasped air to regain his breath.

He looked down the path his body created and saw Jun and Yuuto fighting Cho, but he could clearly tell their movements were hesitant. That was going to get them killed. He got to his feet and without thinking too much on what he planned to do he began to form various hand seals. An inferno came to life, circling his body as it grew in intensity to where it filled the entirety of the room he was in. He waited until both Jun and Yuuto were enough out of the way where it might not harm them too badly and whispered, "Jaken Fenikkusu no Jutsu."

The fire flooded forward, vibrate phoenixes forming along the way with a loud bird cry, and raced towards its target. Itachi calmly walked after his jutsu back out into the corridor. He glanced to his right and saw Jun and Yuuto sprawled on their backs with Jun's cloak on fire.

With a colorful string of curses that sounded suspiciously like, "Fucking pyros." Jun took came of the fire while Yuuto commented, "A little warning next time."

The phoenixes crashed into wall after wall chasing after Cho, who was fast and agile evading it. Although the phoenixes were relentless in their chase and soon it caught up with her, engulfing her in its flames with blinding intensity.

* * *

><p>Pushing a large boulder from on top of him, Sasuke emerged from the rubble. He accessed the damaged to himself as he stood and, besides the gash on his upper arm and the ache in his leg, nothing seemed to be broken. He threw away his Wolf mask that broke in half in the collapse and then focused his gaze on his son, who remained unscathed and still raging.<p>

He could feel his Sharingan spinning rapidly and it was the only reason he noticed Miki a couple yards to his right push his way to the surface with a loud, "Son of a bitch! I thought I was a goner." Miki got himself completely out before he asked, "Where's Tara?"

Sasuke had no idea, and at the moment, he didn't care. He knew he was suppose to, but all that matter right then was the boy in front of him. Kyosuke was his family. Everything else was trivial to that.

Without answering Miki, he shrugged off his tattered cloak and with his chakra concentrated in the soles of his feet he sped straight toward Kyosuke. He purposely waited until the last second to dodge the oncoming attack with a twist of his foot to speed in the opposite direction. He used his speed to keep ahead and dodge the various attacks that were directed him; going in different directions and being unpredictable with his movements.

Suddenly he took a turn and headed straight for Kyosuke. He grabbed his chin in a vice hold, ignoring the pain from the chakra burning him, and forced those golden eyes to stare right into his. The next second Kyosuke slumped unconscious in his arms while the wild chakra diminished, resulting in the area to fall in an unsettling silence.

It took him a moment to let himself release the breath he was holding at finally having his son in his arms where he could keep him safe. He gently brushed the sweat madden strands from Kyosuke's forehead and stared down at the relaxed features that just seconds before were distorted in vicious snarls. Then he pressed his forehead against Kyosuke before leaning back and kissing the skin there.

He gathered his son up in his arms and turned around to where Miki and Ruri were standing. He wasn't surprised to see Ruri alive, she was hard to kill. She came up to him and swiftly began to paint sigils on Kyosuke's skin to suppress his chakra. She then moved on in an attempt to heal his hands of the chakra burns, but he brushed her aside and started down the destroyed corridor to where it sounded like the others were fighting.

"Takai." she voiced in a tone that he guessed was suppose to be threatening.

It wasn't. "No." And he continued on in his stride. Physical pain he could tolerate, it was easy. It was losing the boy in his arms that would kill him and his youngest son. He had to make sure he was all right. And the only way to ensure that was to get him back to the Compound and have him examined to find out what the hell Ouroboros did to him. It was all he could do. . . hope in a way he hasn't had to do in a long time and pray the outcome wouldn't destroy him.

Ruri probably had something else to say, but Miki interrupted her with, "Just leave it alone." and followed him.

* * *

><p>The flames blazed brightly, even as they began to slowly dissipate, but in an instant the fire extinguished altogether with a surge of chakra. There stood Cho on all fours with a chakra tail swishing sporadically behind her and looking far more feral. When she moved she wasn't even seen until she was upon them ready to end their life. What followed was a chaotic mix of avoiding deadly blows that was becoming more difficult with every passing second. Cho made it impossible to throw any counter attacks, not with her using every second to keep them too busy to keep themselves alive.<p>

Distantly he felt the other group approach, then the rise of Sasuke's chakra like he was performing a jutsu. Several seconds later shinobi wire burst forth from the floor and wrapped tightly around Cho, binding her to one spot. He knew it wouldn't hold her. At most he had a couple of seconds before she forced her way out of it.

Shoving off the wall he just landed on, he landed in front of Cho. He yanked on one of the wires around her neck and jerked her head in his direction where their eyes connected. The next moment she fell limp, the only thing keeping her up being the wires. Jun quickly went to her just as the wires began to loosen and retract, catching her in his arms.

Sasuke, Miki and Ruri walked out of the shadows and into the only dim light that remained in the corridor. He felt a sense of relief wash over him at the sight of Kyosuke in Miki's arms. At least now he knew for certain that now they had both Kyosuke and Cho back in their custody where they would be kept safe. He visually checked the other three over and saw only superficial injuries, other than those they appeared to be fine.

Ruri continued forward, kneeling down to the fallen Cho while Jun glared and grabbed her hand when she tried to begin the process of painting the necessary sigils. "Jun. . . let her." he ordered, and it took a long moment before Jun released her to allow her to paint the same sigils that were on Kyosuke's skin to suppress her chakra.

"How's Kyosuke?" Itachi asked.

"Alive." Sasuke answered. "Any other damage won't be known until we're out of here and back at the compound." Itachi nodded in acknowledgment of the truth in that statement. "Cho?"

Itachi turned and stared solemnly at Cho as she was being carefully positioned on Jun's back with the help of Yuuto. "Alive." he answered in the same manner. Although he wasn't sure if she'll want to be after she returned to herself. Because whatever happened to her to cause the bleeding. . . it was nothing good.

He sighed and ordered out their formation. "Kyosuke and Cho are to remain in the middle while Tara and Zurui (Yuuto) take the rear and Takai and I take the front."

They all got in their positions and began to retrace their steps back to the main entrance. It was quiet. Far too quiet for the chaos that transpired just minutes before. Were Ouroboros just going to allow them to leave with Kyosuke and Cho after they went through all the trouble to get them? As they turned down another corridor both Itachi and Sasuke stopped in their tracks because of the two chakra signatures making their way towards them. Two chakra signatures that were sickly familiar. He knew it was too easy.

A sense of panic erupted in Itachi as he lifted his hand to signal the others behind him to stop and be on alert. He glanced over at Sasuke, whose sole attention was focused on the darkness that camouflaged the oncoming duo, then looked back down the corridor.

"Naruto. . ." he heard Sasuke whisper right before the pair slowly came into the dim light, revealing a Fox masked man and Asuka besides him with her hand holding his. She was wearing a new dress, this time a deep blue, with a bandage across her cheek and shoulder where he inflicted the injuries. Her eyes were narrowed and glaring right at Sasuke with such disdain on the surface that it almost covered the fear and longing.

She smirked, an expression that mirrored Sasuke's own perfectly. "Hello father."

It was then that Itachi moved and grabbed the syringe hidden in his pant's pocket before swiftly jabbing Sasuke in the neck, injecting him with a powerful sleeping agent. Sasuke automatically grabbed his arm and looked back at him in the exact same way as Asuka had. . . with betrayal. But there was no other way. With the body of his Abikaasa right in front of them Sasuke would never allow anyone to harm him nor would he consider leaving. There would be no reasoning with an Uchiha protecting their Abikaasa.

Sasuke slumped unconscious and Itachi caught him before he could hit the ground. He immediately hand him over to Yuuto without taking his eyes off the threat. "Take him." Yuuto didn't argue with him as he placed Sasuke's arm over his shoulders, but he could tell the gaze that was on him was filled with confusion.

"Who're they? They part of Ouroboros?" Jun questioned, and when no one answered he asked again. "Who the fuck are they?"

"Shut it." came Miki's sharp tone as he came up without Kyosuke to stand on his right while Ruri came to stand on his left. They knew what this situation could turn into. What they might have to do. It wasn't the most ideal time with so many others with them that could easily end up in the crossfire, but there might not be a choice.

Asuka tutted at him, "Bad Uncle 'Tachi, you spoiled my fun. I was looking forward to meeting father." And he believed there was an underlying truth to that.

"Why does she keep callin' him that?" he heard Jun murmur.

"But since you took him away, you can now face the consequences of what you did to me." She pouted mockingly. "You hurt me Uncle 'Tachi. You were even going to kill me. Your own blood. How can that be allowed to slide?" Her pout formed back into a smirk as her unoccupied hand slid up and down the man's arm beside her. _Naruto's body. . ._ "Do you know who this is? This is Kyuubi."

"Kyuubi?" Jun said in disbelief. "The Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi is dead."

Asuka tilted her head in child-like confusion. "I don't know what a Jinchuuriki is. All I know is that he's Kyuubi and he'll protect me."

She didn't even know. Itachi shouldn't even be surprised that she held such little knowledge about Naruto. Ouroboros probably spun her an elaborate fairytale while completely omitting themselves of their sole involvement in his death. Now his very body stood right next to her and she was completely oblivious. "Have you've ever wondered who he was? The person he use to be?"

That confusion deepened further as Asuka frowned. "Why would that matter to me?"

"He protects you." And he wasn't quite sure why either. Why would a mere shell protect another person without being ordered to? He doubted Ouroboros would order him to since they seemed to hold little care for her. Then why would he protect her? Unless. . . the animal still remembers. "Ever wondered why he does? A body that should only hold the basic instincts of the Bijuu. He shouldn't have the capacity to care what happened to you." He paused, taking in the petulant unhappiness that filled her whole features. "But it's the man he use to be that has probably saved you from time to time. Because even an animal will protect its offspring."

Her mismatched eyes widened in realization and her head snapped to looked up at the masked man. Then her head began to shake in denial as she went back to look at them. "No. . . you're lying." But the doubt was all ready placed. "You're lying!"

Wind began to stir and strengthen in the confines of the hallway, but it wasn't Asuka's doing. No, this chakra was Kyuubi's with a hint of Naruto's swirling in it. Asuka pressed herself to the body's side as the gusts of wind increased, blazing red and heating the air.

With the air stirring violently, a plan began to form in his mind. It was a dangerous one. One that could go horribly wrong with such a small space filled with that much air pressure, but the other option was less desirable in their particular situation. Because on the most part he was a reasonable man and he was honest with himself with what his limitations were. Fighting the body that held all of Naruto's taijutsu and ninjutsu skills was a feat he couldn't say he would be the victor in. Even with Ruri and Miki the odds were still not promising.

"Take the others and find another way out." Itachi ordered both Ruri and Miki. "Create one if you have to. Just hurry and get as far as you can away from here."

"What about yourself?" Ruri asked while Miki went to grab Kyosuke from Yuuto, who stood next to the wall where the unconscious Sasuke was on the floor, slumped against it.

"Go." was his only reply as he disregarded her and placed his hands together to begin building his chakra. For a long moment he felt Ruri wait and stare at him, then she moved and her chakra signature retreated after the others.

As he waited the few seconds it would take for the others chakra signatures to get out of his range of sensory, he concentrated a portion of his chakra to the entire surface of his skin in hopes of giving himself a little protection. Then he performed a series of hand seals and ignited the wind with fire.

The fire reacted instantly to the increased oxygen, creating an enormous explosion.


	11. The Beginning of The End Part Two

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Eleven

**The Beginning of The End**

**Part Two**

Gaara internally sighed in slight annoyance at Kyoko's constant ramblings in their walked side by side to the playroom. He wasn't entirely paying attention to what she was saying, taking up the same technique he used while they traveled together and only giving grunts in return when the conversation seemed to call for it. Mainly his mind was elsewhere, mulling over what exactly Itachi, Miki, and Ruri were hiding from the rest of them.

Many tend to forget how observant he could be in a busy room. So he clearly noticed the look that Itachi and Miki shared at the meeting and the way Ruri's eyes kept looking between the two with the occasional glance at Sasuke. It was quite obvious they weren't being forthcoming with everything that occurred on that mission. But what possibly could have happened that they would prefer to keep it hidden than tell the truth? Although, if it involved the younger Uchiha brother, it might be wise of him to remain out of it. Because if those three were willing to keep silent, then what they were hiding was something that would ignite Sasuke's dangerous fury.

Abruptly, he was brought out of his musings by the presence of an inhumanly strong chakra signature. He stopped in his tracks, which in turn had Kyoko stopping a few steps later and turning around. "What?" she asked just as a loud explosion shook the whole underground building. She gasped, "What was that?" Her fear easily heard.

"Get to the children." he ordered while turning and moving briskly back from where they came from and toward the area where he suspected the explosion occurred. He didn't bother to look back to see if Kyoko obeyed his orders, because she was all ready gone.

He came upon the area where the sound was the strongest. The rec room. On the farthest wall a crack formed, becoming larger with each hit delivered to it. On the final strike the whole wall along with half of Level Five's roof collapsed in a cave-in. Dust clouded his view, but once it settled he saw a woman among the destruction and wearing a Cat mask over her face.

Nii Yugito.

The body of the former Jinchuuriki of Nibi.

Uncertainty rang through his body at the sight of her. Why was she here? Ouroboros has gone to great lengths to keep the resurrected Jinchuurikis a secret; so why would they send one – if not more – to the Akuma compound when they probably knew several members had gone after Kyosuke and Cho? Unless Ouroboros was after something else in the compound that would normally be unacceptable with the others around.

The woman didn't hesitate to attack. _This should be interesting. . ._ he thought as his feet spread further apart for battle. Shukaku versus Nibi – even though he wasn't using Shukaku's chakra, he could still feel the irony of the situation. His sand instinctively rose up in defense, taking the full impact of the chakra-based attack. It was strong enough where his sand bowed, coming an inch from his face, and almost relenting under the pressure. Without wasting a second, he went on the offensive, using his sand as his weapon. She was fast though, evading each blow.

Swerving and dodging she closed the distance between them and began to use her legs and arms in a physical assault. Her speed reminded him of Uchiha Sasuke's and Rock Lee's, her movements being fast enough that his sand could barely keep up. He was only blocking the blows within seconds even as his focus was being split by also gathering a portion of sand at his feet. Then he allowed it to shoot up and spike outward around him, forcing Nibi to retreat back.

Several yards away, she pulled her arm back, like she was readying a punch, and then threw the limb forward. A powerful wave of chakra was released, crashing into a six stone walls that unknowingly erected in a straight row in front of him. The walls took the brunt of the blow while his sand protected him after it blew through the barricades.

He turned to look behind him, glaring at the line of approximately ten to fifteen recruits that stood at the hole Nibi made. Apparently her method of entering the compound had her blasting through the recruit levels, releasing them from their containment.

"Stay out of this." Gaara ordered before turning back forward a little too late.

His distraction resulted in her getting past his defenses and punching him where he was sent flying back. His sand cushioned his landing and when he sat up he found his Raccoon mask in pieces and a crack in his body armor. He scowled at the woman, who didn't even stop in her stride as she came at him again. He sent sand in an attempt to get a hold of her, but she skillfully evading every attempt. It took him a good four minutes to get a trickle of sand around her ankle, which was just enough. He tightened the hold to breaking, gradually adding more sand until she was fully encased in his sand coffin.

Then he began to squeeze.

* * *

><p>Another explosion sounded in the distance that had Kyoko flinching as she sped down the hallway, her cloak billowing wildly behind her. She forced herself to go faster, not even slowing when a corner came up. She skidded on the turn and came close to running into two of the new members, Ran and Kaito.<p>

"You know what that noise was?" Ran questioned, but she ignored him and rushed past the two. "Oi!"

She sensed the two follow her, but she barely acknowledged that fact once she turned around another corner that would lead her to the playroom and spotted a woman wearing a Monkey mask standing in front of the glass window. Her eyes widened in fear at the stranger so close to the children. She didn't slow her pace and she quickly closed the distance between them.

Slipping a kunai from her sleeve she took a swing at the woman, who moved effortlessly to avoid the strike. She took another swing, twisting around when once again the woman evaded it. This dance continued for another moment before she was brutally kicked in the abdomen, sending her crashing through the glass window and into the playroom. The glass cut through her cloak and into her skin, causing her to groan as she rolled over and coughed. Unable to get air back into her lungs, she ripped off her mask and gasped for breath that was knock out of her.

"Kaa-san!" she heard one of her sons yell and then felt them both come closer to her.

"No!" she hollered back at him. "Stay back!"

The sharp crackles of lightning filled the air and she lifted herself up to see both Kaito and Ran fighting the masked woman. She swallowed hard, got to her feet, and took off her cloak for easier movement. She wasn't naive, she was quite aware that her abilities weren't as good as the others. She was maybe a little above average in shinobi skills. That would only keep her alive for so long against a person who was clearly out of her league in ability.

She glanced behind her to find strength in the four children that relied on her to protect them. Her three children were in one corner with her two sons protectively standing in front of their sister while Aki was crouch down in the opposite corner with his Sharingan activated in obvious fear. "Aki – honey, why don't you go over there with your cousins. Can you do that for me?"

The only response she received was his eyes widening and her twin sons yelling in unison, "Kaa-san, watch out!"

She didn't sense the woman approach until the last second, giving just enough time to spin around with kunai in hand and aimed to stab the woman through her throat. Before she could even get close her wrist was grabbed and twisted. The bone snapped and she screamed out at her wrist being broken. She didn't let the excruciating pain overtake her though and she retaliated with a kunai deep in the thigh, twisting the metal viciously in her flesh. It didn't seem to affect the other at all as she was thrown by her broken wrist, rolling across the floor while glass sliced her skin and a piece of wall jabbed sharply into her back.

Gritting her teeth she forced herself to roll on her stomach with her good hand and lift her head to see where the woman was. Her stomach dropped at where the woman was heading. She was walking a straight line right to Aki. And it was then that she knew what the woman's objective was and who had to be behind it. Ouroboros. They knew. They had to know that Aki was the new Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi.

She wouldn't let that bitch take him. Not to them. Not to the same people that killed Naruto. They would not kill his son.

She pushed through the pain that throbbed through her whole left arm and brought her hands together. Then she performed a series of hand seals that created a small globe of chakra between the palms of her hands. She tossed the globe between the children and it instantly expanded outward, creating a barrier of protection around them and preventing the woman from getting any closer to Aki.

Now the only way that barrier would come down was if she died. And that was the only way it _would_ come down.

There was no question about it.

She would die first before she would ever allow this threat anywhere near those children.

* * *

><p>The muscles in Gaara's hand clenched tight as he began to close it, concentrating on destroying the body within his sand coffin. Before the process could be completed a violent burst of chakra erupted, destroying the sand coffin and spiraling outward. His sand automatically came up and shielded him from the blast. Once his shield lowered just that little bit for Nibi to get by she was right there in front of him, sending a clawed swipe at him. He took the damage to the chest, only feeling a couple ribs crack as he was sent tumbling roughly back and through the debris. If it wasn't for the chest plate he wore it could have been a lot worse.<p>

On instinct he formed a sand staff and blocked the next attack that was aimed at his throat. A sword formed in his other hand and he proceeded to stab her in the abdomen where her armor didn't cover. Blood dripped down the made weapon, but it didn't seem to affect her in the slightest.

She brought her hand up and thinned out the fingers, but before she could pierce him through his heart, he gripped her wrist with his sand, stalling the movement. Her chakra reacted instead by forming a layer over her clothing and sharpening at the tip of her hand. As quick as lightning it extended out and sliced through his shoulder rather than his heart thanks to his sand forcibly maneuvering her hand those few inches.

He grunted in pain at the initial penetration, then screamed out when the chakra sizzled the flesh. In self preservation his sand savagely slammed against her chest while the sand underneath him moved backwards to separate them. He pressed his hand to his wounded shoulder in hopes of slowing the bleeding as he stared forward at Nibi easily returning to her feet. He cursed under his breath at seeing the wound he caused earlier on her side was all ready healed. Could anything slow her down?

She charged again, and foregoing his wound, he pressed the palms of his hands together and concentrated on every ounce of sand in a hundred foot proximity. A tsunami of sand rose and pummeled forward to counter her. Unsurprisingly, her speed took her out of harm's way and she veered onto another route to get to him. His sand split blocking that route while the other went in to attack. Again, she evaded. His sand gave chase, splitting into many strands and whipping around his body to keep her at a distance.

For a second he lost sight of her and it was that split second that she was able to penetrate his defenses. His eyes widened when he felt her presence appear behind him. He went to turn while gathering sand back to him to defend with, but out of the corner of his eye he knew it wouldn't be in time.

Out of nowhere Hakkeshou Kaiten spiraled rapidly in front of him, throwing Nibi back several yards. There was a moment of shock as the Hakkeshou Kaiten diminished and one Hyuuga Neji stood protectively before him, then the shock faded and annoyance took full blood. "What are _you_ doing here? he sneered.

"Apparently saving your life."

If the situation wasn't a dire one, he wouldn't hesitate in killing or – at the very least – maiming the arrogant Hyuuga. Instead he scowled at his back and reluctantly went to stand by his side to face Nibi, even though he was having a hard time breathing with his cracked ribs. But it would be a cold day in every level of hell before he would show any sort of weakness in front of the man next to him.

"What is that?" Neji asked, his Byakugan activated. "That chakra isn't human."

"What she is isn't your business." Gaara sneered, unwilling to answer any of the Hyuuga's questions. "You're the one who stuck your nose in this; so fight or leave. Though I would prefer the latter."

"She's coming." Neji spoke in a way that made it seem like he was being ignored. "Do you think we should fight now?"

_Breath. . ._ he told himself right before being reassured with _. . .I can kill him later._

* * *

><p>Kyoko panted heavily from dodging powerful attacks that she's been lucky enough not to be hit with as of yet. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep the pace up for much longer. The woman's speed was too fast, her movements becoming blurred. Kyoko was struggling, only able to avoid the blows by mere seconds at best.<p>

She cursed as her foot slipped on a piece of glass – that inevitable mistake – and prepared herself for the blow that was to come. It never did. She glanced up and there was Kaito gripping onto the woman's arm with electricity pouring out from his hand. Blood stained the man's dirty blond hair and slid down his face while the side of his shirt and pants were bloody from an unseen wound.

There was a brief moment of surprise at his sudden appearance, since the last time she saw him he was fighting the masked woman earlier. She hadn't really given him nor Ran much to no thought since she was too busy to bother. And still the absence of Ran barely registered when faced with Kaito's electricity having no affect on her like other wounds inflicted on her person.

Kaito reached behind him and brought out a short sword, swinging outward and tilting that made it clear he aimed to decapitate her. Although before the blade could make it within an inch of her skin, chakra built and she sent a devastating wave out.

Kyoko much have blacked out for a moment, because the next thing she knew she was waking up to destruction. With a groan, she lifted her head and instantly sought out the barrier with the children behind it. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was still holding strong with her sons pressed against the perimeter, staring at her with frightened eyes. Huddled behind them were her daughter and Aki, clinging to each other and crying.

Then her sons began to frantically banging on the wall of the barrier, yelling something she couldn't quite understand with the ringing in her head. But it didn't take long to realize what they were trying to warn her about as she was lifted up off her feet by nothing more than the length of her neck. Not once did she sense the woman get close to her – that was her immediate thought. She gasped for breath and clawed at the hand around her neck that intended to take her life away. The limb wouldn't come loose. It wasn't like she expected it to though.

She could hear her children's desperate cries, their voices loud at first before slowly drifting away as her vision began to blacken. She was dying. And all she could think about was – Who was going to keep the children safe once she was dead? Who was going to protect them? A tear slid down her cheek at the prospect of leaving them alone and unprotected.

Abruptly she was dropped, hitting the ground hard. Ignoring the pain that riddled through her body, she gasped for much needed air. Some unknown person came up beside her and she jerked away in fear.

"It's all right." a woman's voice spoke. "We're here to help."

Kyoko glanced up and it took a second for her vision to clear enough to recognize the pink-haired woman kneeling next to her. A Konoha shinobi. Naruto's old teammate. The same one who accompanied Sasuke in search of Akuma many years ago. What was her name? Sakura.

Sakura moved her hands over Kyoko, who almost recoiled from her, remembering quite well the treatment she gave Sasuke. But with no other medical nin nearby she really couldn't be too picky, especially since she needed medical attention. She forced herself to remain still as Sakura's hands glowed green and began to examine her. She looked over her shoulder to determine where the masked woman was and saw her calmly walk out of a giant hole in the wall where apparently Sakura must have punched her through.

"Can you handle her, Kiba?" Sakura addressed someone to her right.

Kyoko snapped her head to the side to see a brunette man with a large white dog she didn't even realize was there until then. Another Konoha shinobi. One that appeared familiar but she couldn't place how.

A cocky grin spread across the man's face. "Sure." He cracked his knuckles and turned to speak to the dog next to him. "Let's do this, Akamaru." It appeared they were going to begin whatever their fighting style was, but paused when the woman abruptly changed her direction and headed right toward the children encased in the barrier.

Chakra rose to intense levels, thickening the air to the point where it crackled. Then it retracted back to the woman, all of the chakra seemingly focused in her right arm. Kyoko guessed what the woman was about to do, and she honestly wasn't confident enough that her barrier would be able to sustain against that much compacted chakra. "Stop her!" Kyoko yelled desperately at Kiba, knowing her body wasn't healed enough, but hating the fact she had to rely on someone from Konoha to protect ones so important to her. "Don't let her get close to the barrier!"

Kiba instantly took action by going through a series of hand seals, surprising her by not questioning her. "Gijyuu Ninpou Jujin Bunshin!" Akamaru bushined into Kiba and, with a twist of bodies, both were spiraling like twin tornadoes toward the masked woman. "Gatsuga!" With just the palm of her hand that was loaded with chakra she effectively stopped one of the tornadoes, gripping a leg once the spiral diminished and threw one of the Kibas across the area. Upon crashing into the ground that Kiba went up into smoke, transforming back into Akamaru.

The original Kiba landed on a half-destroyed wall, yelling out, "Akamaru!"

Akamaru maneuvered himself back on his feet, skidding a yard before he stopped completely. His hackles were raised as he snarled and barked at the woman getting closer to the barrier. Then he pushed off the ground and sped toward the woman, who paused to send balls of concentrated chakra barreling toward the canine. Akamaru expertly dodged the projectiles until he was close enough to his owner so Kiba could jump on his back.

The duo performed their combo jutsu again, spiraling in two different directions. One came up from behind while the other circled around and came up in the sparse space that it had become between the woman and the barrier. The two forces collided, creating an explosion that had Sakura covering Kyoko with her body when another portion of the roof came crashing down around them.

Once it sounded like it settled, Sakura got off of her and began to heal her again while Kyoko rolled on her back where she could take in the scene. Unfortunately she had to wait the few precious seconds it took for the dust to clear before she could see that Kiba and Akamaru were both struggling to stand with Kiba spitting up blood on a cough. Her breath seized in her chest at the sight of the masked woman right next to the barrier with the same concentrated chakra compacted in her right arm.

It was going to break.

Kyoko turned to Sakura, grabbing the hand that was healing her and wrenching it away. "Don't bother with me! You have to stop her! Please don't let her get Aki!"

Sakura's eyes widened with realization, then shadowed with fear as her head snapped in the barrier's direction. She got to her feet and sped toward the woman, but it was all ready too late.

The woman brought her arm back and punched the perimeter of the barrier with her compacted chakra fist. Her fist went right through the perimeter, breaking the barrier like glass. She took a step forward, but Sakura stopped her with a punch that had the woman stepping back to avoid it. Sakura didn't pause in her assault, she continued to deliver punches that never once made contact.

Kyoko rolled to her side and pushed herself up with her good arm. She attempted to stand, but fell back down, hissing when she automatically caught herself with both hands. She took deep breaths to overcome the pain that was once again shooting up her arm from her broken wrist. But her head instantly shot up when she heard, "Kaa-san!" and watched her twin sons make their way to her over all the debris. She looked past them and there was her daughter still huddled with Aki and the masked woman only feet from them.

_Oh god. . . no._

Disregarding what happened to Sakura altogether, she tried to stand again, but failed. Instead she gritted her teeth against the pain and began to crawl across the uneven ground even as her sons got to her and tried to stop her from moving. But she couldn't stop. That woman was going to hurt her baby and take Aki, yet from the distance that separated them she was terrified that there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Even from the range Kyoko was at she could still make out the strange look that past over her daughter's face before she began to step away from Aki. At first her departure was reluctant then she hurriedly ran toward them, leaving Aki standing there with a strange calm stare directed at the woman in front of him.

"Aki!" she yelled desperately for him as the woman reached out for him.

A sigil abruptly appeared from Aki's feet and spread out several feet around his body, throwing the woman back. Aki's eyes drifted closed just as a mixture of red and blue chakra exploded outward simultaneously in a spiral of intense power.

Kyoko pushed herself into a sitting position, squinting from the level of chakra radiating off of Aki and pulling her children behind her to protect them with the little protection her body could offer.

"Mommy, what's happening to Aki?" she heard her daughter ask over the thundering of energy.

"I don't know, honey." she replied, her mind focused on the two chakras that were so familiar that it sent a sharp ache through her chest. "I don't know. . ."

The red chakra morphed and formed into a giant fox that fully encased Aki. The fox snarled, then roared viciously at the masked woman, who instantly took a step back and bowed her head before disappearing in a swirl of water. The image of the fox dissolved back into shapeless chakra, intertwining with the blue chakra like long time friends.

With the threat gone, she expected the chakra to retract back into Aki, but it didn't. It continued to swirl brightly around Aki with such intensity that it seemed like the chakra was just beginning. . .

* * *

><p>With a combination of Neji's close-range Juuken and Gaara's own long-range sand defense, they both battled Nibi until an powerful burst of chakra had them all freezing to their spots. A howl followed, resulting in Nibi disappearing in a mixture of fog and mist.<p>

Gaara only partly paid attention to the reactions of Nibi's sudden withdrawal from the fight, he mainly focused on the two chakras now overwhelming the atmosphere with its intense power. Kyuubi's and. . . Naruto's.

That could only mean one thing. . . something happened to Aki.

Fully ignoring the appearance of Shikamaru stepping out from the shadows, he proceeded to head to where the chakra was coming from. He felt both Neji and Shikamaru follow him along with the recruits, who he never even thought of stopping in following them. With a good portion of Level Five being destroyed and caved in, it took longer than he would have liked to get to where the playroom used to be – now being only a large open space.

He only gave a brief glance over the small crowd that consisted of a mixture of injured Akuma members and Konoha shinobi before his eyes landed on the massive spiral of Kyuubi's and Naruto's chakra surrounding Aki. He heard Neji gasped next to him and he couldn't help but ask, "What do you see?"

"A miracle."

The chakra shifted and then gathered in front of Aki, resulting in the boy to collapse to the floor unconscious. Naruto's chakra moved to the center while Kyuubi's chakra formed a shell around Naruto's, beginning to create chakra channels. Then bones of a human skeleton followed with muscle and sinew. Skin was molded along the frame with ink of various tattoos all ready marring the new skin while golden hair filled out the appropriate places. Once finished, the chakra retreated back into the seal on the naked man's stomach now standing before them.

Shocked silence settled heavily among them all, Gaara staring like everyone else at the one man he never imagined seeing alive again. He didn't think it was possible. His lips flinched in amusement at the thought. Give it to Naruto to make the impossible possible. He guessed being labeled the most unpredictable shinobi back in the day did mean something.

It was like the thought of his name had Naruto opening his eyes, revealing those unique blue sapphires he would never admit in missing seeing. Naruto's brows creased in confusion as he took in each of them before moving on to take in the surroundings. But when his eyes landed on the unconscious Aki at his feet, he bent down and gently ran his hand through his hair. Then he carefully picked up his son in his arms and turned back to face them.

"Any possible way I could get some clothes. I'm feeling a breeze here."


	12. Back to Life

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!) **

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Twelve

**Back to Life**

Once within the proximity of the Akuma Compound, Itachi knew immediately that something occurred while they were away. There were no visible signs from where they were, but the disturbance hung thickly in the air. As they got closer to where the entrance was suppose to be, the signs of battle were quite obvious by the enormous sinkhole that once was the Akuma Compound.

_A diversionary tactic. . ._ was Itachi's first thought as he took in the destruction. Ouroboros – it had to have been them – struck the Compound when most of the Veterans were away rescuing Kyosuke and Cho. They all thought those two were their objective, but obviously they were wrong. What was in the Compound that Ouroboros would risk attacking it when, even in their absence, were capable shinobi to defend it? Gaara and Aki. The final two Jinchuurikis. Were all four Jinchuurikis their real objective?

He disregarded the ruins of the Akuma Compound and hurried towards the many chakra signatures that were located a little further East, assuming mainly by Gaara's chakra signature that the group were the survivors. Miki was right there by his side in the same haste as his own. They were in similar situations – his wife and children were in the Compound like his nephew was. And the suspicions that were brewing in his mind, he feared for his nephew's safety in a way that Miki was probably feeling for his family. The rest of their team were close behind them as they came upon the odd mix of Akuma, Konoha shinobi, and recruits in various degrees of injury.

Ruri rushed forward to the first injured Akuma member – which happened to be the new member Kaito – while Itachi scanned the group, looking for any signs of Aki and taking note of all the familiar faces. "Zurui, take Kyosuke." he heard Miki say with panic evident in his voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Miki lower the unconscious boy from his back and into Yuuto's arms. He suspected that Miki would have headed toward the stretcher that held his injured wife and children around her if not for the sudden appearance of a chakra signature that had Itachi and his team jerking in the direction of the painfully familiar chakra.

For a split second he thought it was the body of Naruto, but when the man came into view he knew otherwise. _Naruto. . . _His breath caught in his throat at the sight of him looking very much alive, and if he was a different kind of man he would have dropped the unconscious Sasuke from his back right then.

Naruto stood in front of him in a plain black shirt and green cargo pants, his arms were crossed over his chest and he bore an unhappy expression on his face. Before he knew it though, he was being punch square in the nose. He was honestly caught off guard, resulting in the force behind the blow to send him and inevitably Sasuke to the ground.

"I'm not happy with you." came Naruto's voice a second later. He believed he could have gauged that reasoning on his own without the verbal confirmation. He prodded his nose, finding it wasn't broken, and wiped the blood away. Naruto stepped around him and asked, "What happened to him?" But before the blond could reached out to his brother, he stopped him by gripping his wrist and drawing out a kunai to press against the blond's throat.

Naruto didn't even flinch at the action, but Gaara – who seemed to follow the blond – stepped forward with apparent intention to step in. Naruto stopped him with a hand movement and continued to stare blatantly into his activated Sharingan. "Satisfied?" he asked simply.

He was.

And that simple fact had his mind blanking out for a long moment with nothing short of amazement. "How?" he ask as the hand holding the kunai against Naruto's throat slackened.

Naruto moved away from the sharpened edge of the weapon and said, "That's not your concern right now."

"Not my concern?" Itachi questioned, almost sneering as his anger sparked. "How is it not my concern?"

"Because you're not the first person who's gonna hear it." Naruto said, bending down and brushing Sasuke's bangs out of his face.

The blond's simple explanation quickly extinguished his anger. Naruto wished to tell Sasuke first. Unfortunately, he could respect that. His patience on the other hand would be tested to the fullest. He could all ready feel how desperate he was to know how the man he watched and protected for most of his life had come back from a three year departure into the underworld. It wasn't a comforting feeling. It contrasted greatly against the happiness of seeing Naruto alive brought.

Naruto stared down at Sasuke, taking in the injuries that shouldn't have caused him to be in an unconscious state. "What happened to him?" he asked again, hating not knowing.

While dead and on the other side, he made sure he looked out for his family. Sasuke and his two sons he watched and protected when he could. He's done this for the past three years. He's watched as Itachi kept Sasuke in the dark, threatening his very life and the lives of his sons by keeping him ignorant. He's gathered as much information as he could on Ouroboros; tracking down their hideouts and spying on their meetings. But there were places where – even as a spirit – he couldn't enter. They were four of Ouroboros's hideouts.

Two of which Akuma had recently entered.

One was the building that Itachi, Miki and Ruri entered while they pursued a lead on Ouroboros. The other was where Ouroboros took Kyosuke and Cho. Unable to enter, and actually quite busy at the Compound, he had no idea what happened while they were in there. It was frustrating being left with only his imagination to come up with the conclusion. Especially when for the past three years he was use to knowing quite a bit.

"The situation forced me to sedate him." Itachi spoke in the same way as he always had. . . like he knew best.

Irritating, that's what it was with everything he now knew. "Sedate him?" He turned and looked up at Itachi from his crouched position. "How the hell did the situation turn where you had to sedate him?"

"Your body." Itachi said low enough where the group further ahead couldn't hear.

He jerked his head in a reluctant nod, begrudgingly admitting that Sasuke could have become a danger if his old body was threatened. It still held a part of him that Sasuke's instincts would still react to. It was a complication, but one he planned on rectifying once he had a chance to get close enough.

"Tara." he spoke out.

"Y-Yes, Tai-Taichou."

He winced at the old entitlement. "How are they?" he asked, indicating the unconscious forms of Kyosuke and Cho.

"I-I haven't been able to do a thorough exam, b-but their vitals are steady and their lives don't seem to be in danger."

He accepted the answer for now as he gathered Sasuke in his arms and stood. "You don't mind checking them out more thoroughly now do you?" he asked, looking over at Ruri for the first time since they arrived. There were tears running down her cheeks while her eyes stayed trained on him. It made him a little uncomfortable, since she was normally very in control of herself. "Because the others Rei and Sakura can handle them for the time being."

"N-No, now's fine." she said as she wiped the tears away.

"Good." he said, moving around Itachi and heading in the direction of where he left Aki with Gaara by his side, and threw over his shoulder, "Zurui and Kijin, follow me." He was a little surprised that Jun didn't have anything to say as the two complied with the order and followed him.

"Wait. . ." Ruri said, "Did you say Sakura?"

"Yeah. . . Haruno Sakura." he answered, "You remember her? She was my old teammate in Konoha."

"Yes, I remember her. What is she doing here?" There was a cold edge to her voice that indicated she still had rough feelings toward the other kunoichi.

"If you haven't noticed we've had a small problem."

That had Ruri falling silent the rest of the way until she caught sight of the unconscious Aki and quickly knelt down beside him, asking, "What happened? Is he all right?"

"I was hoping you could tell me?" He did something very risky by extracting himself from Aki at such a young age, but not doing anything would have gotten his son in the hands of Ouroboros, which was even more life threatening. Yet, even if Aki seemed to have taken the extraction just fine, he wasn't sure if it didn't affect anything on the molecular level. And it worried him. What if he was the cause of his son being damaged in some way? He would never forgive himself if that was the case.

He placed Sasuke on an empty stretcher and called to a recruit to get two more for Kyosuke and Cho while Ruri examined Aki. Once Kyosuke and Cho were placed on their own stretchers he shockingly got an armful of Jun. It took him a minute to comprehend that yes Jun was actually hugging him and yes Jun was the one to initiate it. He didn't think things had changed that much during his three year absence. Especially when all the times he saw Jun he was still acting like his asinine self. Did his death affect him that much?

Just as quickly as Jun attached himself to him, he was gone, moving back over to Cho and sitting by her side without saying a word. If it was anyone else he would have thought that was weird, but it was Jun and he had always acted in strange ways when expressing himself. Instead he shook it off and turned back to Yuuto, who was staring at him with a watery smile. At least he was expecting Yuuto to hug him. "You have no idea how good it is to see you." he said with a firm squeeze before letting go.

"Yeah. . . I keep hearing that." And he wasn't lying. He's been hearing some form of 'Good to see you.' or 'I'm glad you're alive.' from the Konoha shinobi, Akuma members, and even some of the braver recruits, who he's never even met before. But to give credit to most of them, they didn't know he's been dead for the past three years. Still though, since being back he hasn't had a minutes peace.

He noticed Ruri finishing up her examine and immediately asked, "How is he?"

"The only thing I found wrong was chakra exhaustion. Other than that he's perfectly fine."

He breathed out in relief, feeling a weight on his shoulders lift. Aki was all right. He could breath easier knowing he hadn't hurt his son. But not by much. There was still Kyosuke's health to be worried about. Ruri must have suspected his thoughts, because the next thing she did was move on to Kyosuke.

When she was done with him she went to examine Cho. Halfway through her examination of the young girl, at the same time that her glowing hands were hovering over her abdomen, something akin to shock crossed Ruri's face before her whole body tensed and renewed tears brimmed her eyes. It only lasted for a moment before she schooled her expression and continued on with her examination. But he saw it. Something was wrong with Cho.

Once done she began to speak, "There was minor internal damage in both of them, but nothing life threatening."

"Is that what caused the blood?" Jun interrupted.

Ruri's whole body flinched at the mention and her impassive expression cracked a little. "Yes. . . but everything's fixed now. I found no signs of negative build-up or any indication that there will be. The only real concern I have is how they're going to react when they wake up – if they wake up."

"If?" Both Jun and Naruto asked.

She nodded and gazed back at the unconscious pair. "I have no idea what sort of psychological damage occurred. For all I know they could wake up completely fine, but. . . they could also wake up with just the basic instincts similar to that of their Bijuu, their real selves lost. It could turn dangerous not only for themselves, but for everyone else. I would suggest restraining them until we know if they'll be themselves at the time they wake up."

Naruto rubbed his face tiredly, that brief relief over Aki's good health long gone with the foreboding over Kyosuke's possible outcome. And he knew. . . he knew if anything happened to Kyosuke, Aki would soon follow. He found out Kyosuke was Aki's Abikaasa long before Sasuke had. It only took one look at them from the other side to see their interconnecting souls. He had hoped they're connection wouldn't cause either of them any pain, but as his mind came up with the outcomes if Kyosuke didn't recover that hoped died. They were cursed just like Sasuke and him. Always searching for happiness, yet to always have something come and destroy it.

And it was excruciating to watch history repeat itself. He didn't want this for his sons. He didn't want them to suffer like Sasuke and him have. . .

"Then tie them down." he finally said, which had Ruri moving to restrain them. He saw Jun flinch while Ruri tied Cho to her stretcher and he did the same when she began on Kyosuke, hating to see him restrained like some prisoner or worse. . . like an animal. He closed his eyes and turned away to block the image out. "After you heal Sasuke I want to talk to you." he said and then pointed to a secluded section of the makeshift camp. "Over there. I'll be waiting."

He walked away and stood where he indicated, trying not to think. If he did. . . all he would have were things to stress over and worry about. And he couldn't. Not if he wanted to keep standing until Sasuke woke up. He couldn't leave their sons unprotected. Especially when his trust wasn't extending to too many people nowadays.

Ruri's voice startled him out his daze. She was talking about Sasuke's condition and he stopped her, knowing that if Sasuke was still breathing he would be fine. "Why are you lying to him?" he asked, indicating what she told Jun. Or what she didn't tell him.

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, probably to dispute his accusation, but closed it again.

"What's wrong with Cho?" he pushed.

Tears brimmed her eyes and slowly leaked down her face. Her reaction only caused him to become more nervous as she began to speak, "I couldn't tell him the truth. Who knows what he would have done. With the situation we're in. .. th-th-the consequences could be disastrous. . . An-An-And. . ."

He grabbed her shoulders, "Ruri!" and shook her.

"She was pregnant!" she said with a sob, causing his grip to loosen in shock. "She was pregnant. . ." she spoke more softly, "The blood was her having a miscarriage."

He fell against a tree trunk and closed his eyes in agony. It wasn't stopping. . . It wasn't even slowing down. . . The pain kept coming and trying to drown him. And the thought of Cho – sweet Cho – having to go through the same thing he had. . . the loss of a child. . . it made him physically sick. Him being back was suppose to a happy occasion where he could finally reunite with Sasuke, but all it's become is another struggle to breathe. He wished. . . Oh god, he wished Sasuke would wake up. . .

"How could I tell him?" she asked brokenly, "With so many people how could I tell him something like that?"

"You have to tell him." he said as he looked back at her. "You do know that?"

"I know." He went to leave, just to get away from the subject, but she stopped him by calling out, "Taichou. . ." He winced again at being called that. "I'm sorry." Turning around, he stared at her in confusion. "We've become such a broken unit since you. . . You would be very disappointed in some of the things we've done. I hope you can forgive us."

When it came to his family, forgiveness was hard to come by.

Without saying anything, he walked back to where his family was situated and gratefully being guarded by Gaara. He sat down and the red head left, apparently sensing his need to be alone. He glanced over at Jun sitting by Cho's side and Yuuto sitting on her other side, then immediately looked away by the surge of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. His eyes landed on Neji across the clearing, who was blatantly staring at him. Of course, he wasn't really the only one, but his was by far the creepiest. He arched an eyebrow, clearly asking, 'What the fuck?'. He shouldn't have been surprised when nothing changed.

Rolling his eyes, he looked to his left and saw Miki and his family. He was sitting dutifully by the unconscious Kyoko with his twin sons sitting to his right and his daughter curled up asleep on his left. There was a somber expression on his face that didn't fit well there as he gazed down at his wife. Naruto should go over there and see how Kyoko was doing, since she tried so desperately to protect his son, but he couldn't bring himself to.

Miki glanced up then and met his stare. He offered a small smile to the other man, who only furrowed his brows in response like he was confused before turning his attention back to his wife. He didn't think much of it, because if he saw one of his friends that's been dead for years come back to life he sure as hell would be confused too.

The sounds of footsteps approaching had him focusing on Itachi as he stopped and crouched in front of him. "We should be leaving soon." he began, "I thought we could head to the closest base in Rowen."

Naruto rubbed his temple wearily. "And why are you telling me this?" he asked, very annoyed by just about _everyone_ bothering him.

"You are the true leader of Akuma." he stated simply.

He clenched his jaw. _Joy_. . . he thought bitterly. "Then just do what you want. It sounds fine."

There was a moment of silence where Itachi merely stared at him with an unreadable expression. "Hmn." he grunted before continuing, "Then we'll be leaving soon. Who would you prefer to assist in carrying Sasuke, Kyosuke, and Aki?"

"No one. I'll take care of it."

Itachi gave a curt nod before he turned and left, probably sensing his presence was unwanted. He watched as Itachi went over to Neji and said something to the brunette, who gave a nod once Itachi was done and left to where Kiba and Akamaru were sitting.

Naruto stood then, ignoring the way people turned toward him at any sudden movement, and went over to Aki. He gently picked his son up and laid him on the same stretcher as Kyosuke, needing to lower the Kage Bunshins he would have to make. It was a three day walk from here to Rowen and with his chakra lower than it has been in a long time he would be lucky to make it all the way there sustaining four Kage Bunshins.

"So you're the almighty Tatsuo." a male voice spoke in a condescending way.

He glanced to the side to see who decided to intrude his space yet again and the sight of who it was had him suppressing a growl. Jouda Ran. . . the one who was blatantly infatuated with Sasuke. That in and of itself made him dislike, even close to the point of hating the man. "It's Uzumaki Naruto."

"Yeah, a guy that's suppose to be dead."

He almost forgot that Ran was there with Sasuke and the others when he warned Sasuke about their sons and Cho being in danger. He didn't know much about what went on in the lab, but he did know that his name was mentioned and his status of being dead. So the prick knew he had died at some point, he doubted he knew much else. "What can I say. . ." he began, voice cold. "Hell couldn't handle me."

A loud whistle sounded, causing the chatter to die down and almost all to looked at Itachi across the clearing. All Itachi did was announce what he all ready knew that they were going to depart and everyone needed to get organized in their supplies and in help of carrying the injured.

"I don't mind carrying Sasuke." Ran said with a lewd grin on his face and even daring to take a step toward the raven.

He saw red the second Sasuke's name came out of the man's mouth so casually, then he was up and right in front of him with his hand on his chest to stopped his progress. A threatening growl rumbled in his chest as he spoke, "One more step and you won't have legs to stand on."

The grin fell on Ran's face and glared at him, sneering, "Like you own him."

Naruto chuckled, yet it held no humor. "Yes, I do. He's mine. And you'd be better off learning that."

Ran opened his mouth to retort, but Gaara's voice interrupted by asking, "Is there a problem here?" His menacing stare on Ran like he knew he was the one who started it.

Naruto smirk maliciously, never taking his eyes off Ran. "Nah Gaara. . . He's just learning where his place is."

He received a pretty impressive glare – nothing compared to Sasuke's though – and a sneer that looked very ugly on his face. "This ain't over." Then he stalked off like some petulant two year old.

His smirk turned to a full-fledged grin as he turned to face Gaara. "I'm gonna love beating that one down." And it was true. He wanted to break the man's face and make sure he would never be able to look at Sasuke again.

A hint of amusement filled Gaara's voice when he said, "Oh, I bet you will."

He formed hand-seals and summoned four Kage Bunshins, who immediately went and picked up the two stretchers. Naruto positioned himself between the two stretchers while Gaara stood protectively in front them. He didn't question Gaara's decision to watch over them. He was grateful at having him watching his back where it came to keeping Sasuke and his two sons safe. Though he doubted it had anything to do with Sasuke. He has watched as respect grew between the two over the years since they left Konoha, but that was as far as it went.

He purposely kept from going to the front of the gathering group where Itachi began leading them out of the temporary camp and in the direction of Rowen. No one commented on his chosen position in the line – or no one dared to. Jun and Yuuto carrying Cho were in front of him. Miki and his family were behind him. Kyoko was on a stretcher with Miki carrying one end while his daughter walked by his side and his two sons were carrying the other end. Even further behind was Ran with a glare directed at his back if the raised hair on the back of his neck was any indication.

"Hey, Blondie!" Kiba's voice hollered a few hours later. It was followed by a bark from Akamaru as they walked up on his sons' side.

"Hey, Dog-breath." he greeted back while absently petting Akamaru. "Aren't you suppose to be up front with Kane?" A bit of information he only heard from Shikamaru telling Neji, Kiba, and Sakura their duties.

"Yeah. . . well. . ." Kiba scratched the back of his head. "I could never really stand being around an Uchiha. No offense."

"None taken." He grinned at Kiba. "It does take a special person to deal with one."

That caused Kiba to snort and roll his eyes. "Still full of yourself."

"Always."

"So what's up with that guy giving you problems earlier?"

His smile fell at the thought of the only person who had the nerve to be hostile with him. "Jouda Ran." he sneered. The same person who hasn't taken his menacing glare off him since they began their journey. "He has a thing for Sasuke."

Kiba grinned. "Oh, I see now. You're jealous."

"No I'm not." he snapped. Even though he knew he was lying through his teeth. "It's just that he's been harassing Sasuke. That's all."

Kiba raised his hands in a placating gesture, "Alright, alright. . ." but the grin still plastered on his face spoke otherwise. "Whatever you say,"

Naruto glared at the other just out of principle, but soon sighed and continued to chat with Kiba until Neji walked by with glare directed at the mutt. Kiba quickly departed then and headed to the front. Neji lingered for a moment with an even stare leveled at him. Again, he arched an eyebrow in question and again he got no response as the Hyuuga walked off. He shook his head at Neji's behavior. He's always been kind of odd.

They stopped to rest and eat around noon. After carefully settling the two stretchers on the ground he released his Kage Bunshins to conserve much needed energy he was quickly running out of. He's only made it half a day and already he was struggling to sustain four Kage Bunshins. At this rate he wasn't going to make it all the way to Rowen. He glanced over at Sasuke, hoping he would wake up soon before he collapsed from pure exhaustion.

He noticed the medic-nins handing out the meals and that Sakura was heading toward him with a bowl of food. Even though she did help protect his son, he still cringed internally as she approached him with a small hesitant smile. How she acted all those years ago was still vivid in his mind. He made sure he smiled back politely as she handed over his food, which seemed to encourage her to sit down. That was definitely not his intention.

"How you've been doing?" she asked.

"Fine."

She fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "It's just you look a little tired."

He was tired. But dammit he didn't want anyone else to know it. So he grinned broadly, fighting not to show just how tired he really was. "Nah, I'm good."

She nodded, "Alright." and stood up. "I guess I'll talk to you later then." She turned and walked past Shikamaru, who approached with his own bowl of food in his hand.

He restrained himself from sighing out in annoyance. "Hey, Shika." he greeted as Shikamaru sat down within arm's reach. _Not even a minute's peace. . ._ "If you're gonna ask me how I am you're a little late. Fifty other people have already beat you to it."

Shikamaru snorted lightly and took a bite of his food. "No. . . your well being has been well covered. I believe you'll live." Naruto rolled his eyes and concentrated on his own food thanks to his grumbling stomach. "I'm here to see what you wanted me to tell Kakashi?"

He choked on a piece of meat at that. "You could've at least waited 'til I swallowed." It appeared like Shikamaru was going to say something, but changed his mind with a shake of his head. And as he ran that sentence back over in his mind, he knew he didn't want to hear it. "I'm surprised though that you haven't reported back about this _miracle_. Isn't that suppose to be in the job description." He paused as a thought struck him. "Wait. . . Does he even know I was six-feet under?"

"He didn't for awhile. . . but it did come up when Konoha had Aki." Naruto scowled at the mention of Aki forcibly being in Konoha. "He took the news badly."

Naruto rubbed his face tiredly, far from being in the mood to deal with this. He had other things to worry about besides anything that had to do with Konoha. But he guessed he better just get it over with and out of the way. "Go ahead and tell him." he said. He knew he could trust Kakashi to a certain degree. And with the man knowing he was alive, he didn't see a problem with it. It wasn't until recently that he thought he was dead anyway. What difference is it going to make? Except maybe give his old Sensei a little happiness. "Just make sure it isn't intercepted."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Do I look like a rookie to you?"

Naruto chuckled and continued eating.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do once Uchiha wakes up?" Thankfully he was still chewing when that question came out of the brunette's mouth. He merely stared at Shikamaru in his form of an answer. "Not a subject to be touched. Alright."

A roar of laughter had both him and Shikamaru turning to where Ran and a few other recruits were sitting. Ran noticed them and smiled menacing with a narrow of his eyes. Naruto glared back until he caught sight of another stretcher covered with a white sheet further off in the distance. His gaze softened and a painful ache spread through his chest. _Baa-chan. . ._ He had to go back into the crumbling Compound to retrieve her body. There was no way he could have left her behind.

He quickly turned back around and was immediately met with the sight of his food. He wasn't really hungry anymore, but he knew he needed the fuel it offered. He took a bite and felt his stomach turn over as he swallowed.

"You might want to watch out for that one." Shikamaru said. "He's particularly been killing you with his eyes this whole time."

"It's nothing I can't handle."

There was a long sigh before Shikamaru spoke again without looking up from his food. "Don't assume I'm a fool Naruto. I have a Byakugan on my side and he's already informed me of the state of your chakra." Why wasn't he surprised? "With how low your chakra is now Naruto, you wouldn't be able to beat him."

He did glare at the brunette then. Damn he was doing that a lot since he got back. Why were people pissing him off so much?

"Give me that look all you want." Shikamaru continued. "It won't change the facts."

Begrudgingly, Shikamaru was right. He was in no condition to enter into a fight. The likelihood if he did, he would lose. It made him feel a little helpless. And he despised that feeling. He despised doubting himself on if he could protect his family. He had to protect them, otherwise coming back would have been pointless.

He was grateful that Shikamaru didn't speak after that. It left him to force himself to finish his food in some semblance of peace. Even though his mind was plagued with even more worry thanks to the other man's mouth.

Within fifteen minutes they were back moving. They didn't stop again until an hour before sunset.

He settled both stretchers away from the general group and sat down between them heavily. The chances of him actually making it to Rowen before his body decided to shut down on its own was looking slimmer as he stared down at his trembling hands. It was getting harder. There was a second of going through rough terrain that he thought he was going to lose a Kage Bunshin carrying his sons due to the strain. He cursed silently and wrung his hands to stop the shaking.

Gaara left toward where the medic nins were beginning to fix dinner shortly after he hand diminished his Kage Bunshins. Several yards to his left Miki and his family settled down for the night while Jun and Yuuto with Cho rested catercorner to him. Across the clearing he saw Itachi and Shikamaru speaking and Kiba and Akamaru walking through the group with no apparent destination. Neji approached Gaara and leaned in close to whisper in the red-head's ear. Gaara appeared to have startled at first, but then listened to what the Hyuuga had to say.

When Gaara returned he had two bowls of food. One he handed to him before he sat down and said, "You need to rest tonight. Your chakra is getting dangerously low."

Damn. At least Shikamaru let him have a bite of food before he started. "Is that what Neji said." he said with a sly look.

With his hood down, he saw how Gaara's ears reddened. "Yes." The sneer in his voice contrasting greatly with the blush that was probably under his mask. "Unfortunately he's right."

He didn't sound too happy about that fact. Unsurprising. Since it came out of Neji's mouth. He was still alive when the two of them broke up. It was a nasty breakup. Neji had insisted on doing it face to face. Foolish, foolish man. He ended up in the hospital for thinking he was doing an honorable thing. If he wanted to be honorable he should have stood up to his Uncle, Naruto thought. Instead he chose to break Gaara's heart. He never did like Neji after that.

Yet. . . there were moments he's witnessed throughout the years that made it clear Gaara still loved him and vice versa.

Naruto sighed and ate a little before he spoke again. "I just want to wait 'til Sasuke wakes up."

"You're going to collapse before that happens."

He shrugged, not really knowing how to explain his _need_ to see Sasuke awake before he past out. "And besides, the minute I rest Jouda will probably kill me in my sleep." He meant it as a joke – sort of – but Gaara's even stare seemed to glower at him.

"Do you believe I would allow that to happen?"

Now that comment just made him feel guilty, because Gaara's loyalty to him was fierce. As he opened his mouth to reassure the red-head of his trust in him a loud squeal of, "MOMMY!" interrupted him. He turned and saw with a tinge of jealousy that Kyoko was awake trying to hug her daughter, who was sprawled across her chest.

"Sweetie. . ." He heard Miki speak softly to his daughter. "Be careful with Mommy. She's injured, remember."

Naruko flew off Kyoko, tears running down her face. "I'm sorry Mommy." She leaned into one of her brothers, Masaaki and hugged him around his middle in exchange.

"It's alright, baby" Kyoko said tiredly as she patted her on the leg.

Masaaki's twin, Ryota asked, "How are you feeling Mom?"

"Alive." Something changed in Kyoko then by the stiffening of her body and the panic in her voice. "Aki!"

"He's fine." Miki assured her and pushed gently against her shoulder when she tried to get up. "Only chakra exhaustion is what I heard."

"Chakra exhaustion?" There was a long moment before she spoke again. "Does that mean what I saw was real? Is he. . ." He could hear her voice choking up with emotion. "Was it real?"

Miki smiled softly at her, and then jutted his chin toward him. The movement had her turning her head to stare right at him. A sob immediately escaped her mouth before she continued on to outright crying.

After a glance to Gaara, who nodded his head in silent agreement to watch Sasuke and his sons, he stood and went over to Kyoko. He bent down on his haunches and smiled down at her. "I'm glad you're alright, Kyoko-chan." Another loud sob followed his words as she extended her arms toward him – a clear indication she wanted a hug. He gave it to her, whispering, "You scared the shit outta me, Kyoko-chan. Going up against Gobi all by yourself. But thanks to you, you gave me enough time to put things in motion."

A sudden gasp had them turning to Naruko in question. "You're the one who told me to go to Mommy."

Yes, he did. Just before he began to extract himself from Aki, he had to make sure Naruko was away from his son. Otherwise she would have received severe chakra burns. Naruto smiled at her. "You could've gotten hurt if you stayed near Aki."

"How could you've done that?" Masaaki asked with the same mixture of curious and suspicious glint in his eyes as he and his twin has been frequently glancing at him since he's been back. They were old enough to remember him before he died – unlike Naruko – and have an idea of what death meant. Him being back shouldn't have been possible in their eyes.

His smile turned mischievous. "I have my ways."

Ruri came up then and kneeled down beside Kyoko. She was wearing a new mask and cloak. "How are you feeling Kyoko?" she asked as her hand moved over her chest to begin her examination.

"Sore. But that's normal." Then she hurriedly whispered excitingly, "He's alive."

Ruri looked up at him with an expression he couldn't see. "Yes, he is." The tone of her voice sounding grateful with a hint of regret hidden underneath. She then looked to Miki and they shared something between them that had Miki looking away in shame. Naruto glanced between the two, wondering what was going on there, but he left it alone. If it was one thing he knew, whatever they were hiding, it would come out eventually. It always does.

Once Ruri finished her examination they talked for a little while longer before he stood up to go back over to where his family lay. As he turned to leave after he bid his farewells he was grabbed into a hug by Miki. He tensed at first, but relaxed a little when Miki said, "I missed you man." Miki pulled away slightly to reveal the watery smile he was wearing. "You saved her, you know that. You might've just done it to save your own boy, but you still saved her and my kids."

Naruto tried to shrug off the compliment, never really being able to handle them. "You would've done the same for mine."

That same shame from earlier flashed across Miki's face, his smile falling for a second before it was back. This time though, it appeared to be painted on. "Yeah. . . You know I'd never let anything happen to your kids." But there was something in his eyes that spoke of guilt.

Oh yeah, something was definitely going on. And the way Miki was acting, it involved his kids. He didn't like that thought. "Everything alright Miki?" Maybe questioning the man's odd behavior would make him realize he knew something was up.

All he got though was a glimpse of panic and Miki saying with a strained grin, "Everything's good. It's great actually. Just glad you're alive and kidding." He wasn't convinced in the slightest. "Night."

Naruto went back to where Gaara was watching over his family. He sat down and picked up his cold food in order to finish it. "You have any idea what their hiding?" he asked between bites.

Gaara didn't even question what he was talking about. He must have already suspected. "No." he responded, "But I know it has something to do with that mission about Ouroboros. Kane seemed adamant about Takai not knowing the true details of the mission."

"So Kane, Tara, and Ryutaro are hiding things?"

"Yes."

That helped in keeping him awake during the night. He was there when Itachi, Miki, and Ruri came back from that mission, and he saw the silent exchange between Itachi and Miki. At first he thought they had gone up against his old body, and that was why they hadn't told Sasuke. But now, with them keeping it between just the three of them, it made him wonder what really happened on that mission. What did they encounter that would cause them to be so secretive?

By morning he had more questions than answers. And that irritated the hell out of him. He was practically growling at anything that moved, which just so happened to be everything, since everyone was moving around to get things packed and ready to leave.

Itachi chose that moment to approach him. Not a good time.

"How much sleeping agent did you fucking give him?" he snapped just as Itachi got within hearing distance.

His outburst had most of Akuma looking at him and Itachi, but he didn't care. With all the noise going on he half-expected Sasuke to at least twitch with how paranoid he was about sleeping around others. But no. . . there was nothing. He was almost to the point of kicking Sasuke's ass just to wake him up. That's how irritated he was.

"Enough to take down an elephant." Itachi answered nonchalantly, like he didn't realize the danger he was stepping closer to.

"An elephant?" he snarled, his canines showing. "It can't be a small elephant, but a full grown fucking elephant?! Are you trying to kill him?"

Itachi gave no indication that he felt threatened. "It took twice that dose the last time."

He winced, knowing exactly what Itachi was talking about. The reminder was like ice cold water through his veins, extinguishing his anger. He stood straighter, removing himself out of the defensive posture he was in. He ran a hand over his face and through his hair. "I was this close –" He brought his hand up with his thumb and index sticking out to indicate how little patience he had left. "– from snapping your neck off your shoulders." And it wasn't just the fact that he incapacitated Sasuke, it was also all the secrets the man was hiding.

"It's a good thing you didn't." came Itachi's reply.

He didn't know what the other meant until he heard a small, hesitant voice, "Chichiue?" He snapped his head in the direction where just minutes before his two sons were still unconscious, but now Aki was sitting upright with his blue eyes staring at him in such amazement.

Naruto would swear he stopped breathing as he stared at his son. He never even realized that Itachi had closed the distance between them and leaned in near his ear. "Go meet your son, Naruto." Itachi whispered.

"I-I. . ." he stuttered, completely forgetting he was angry with Itachi to begin with.

"Go on." Itachi urged, giving him a small push to the shoulder.

He was terrified. This was the first time he's been able to meet his son face to face since he was born. He may have watched Aki grow up these past three years, but he's never been able to hold him. He's never been able to talk to him. He's always been on the outside looking in on a life he was no longer a part of. And it hurt that his own son didn't really know him at all.

That first step was the hardest in facing his fear of Aki not wanting anything to do with him. And before he knew it he was crouching before Aki with his heart in his throat. "D-Do you know who I am?" he asked, which might have been a stupid question, since Aki already called him 'Chichiue'.

If it was or not, Aki still nodded and said in pure wonder, "You're my Chichiue."

Naruto nodded himself, tears brimming his eyes and threatening to fall. "Y-Yes I am."

"Tou-san said you went to heaven and you wouldn't be able to see me or Aniki." Aki said with as much innocence that a three-year-old could offer. "Did you miss us Chichiue? Is that why you're back?" There was a hopeful urgency there.

The tears fell easily after that. There was no holding them back. "Oh god yes. . . I missed you and your brother so much."

"So you're gonna stay?" The hope was almost blinding in his son's eyes. So much hope and longing that it made his heart ache. "You're gonna stay with us, Chichiue?"

"I'm not going anywhere." And it wasn't just words being said, it was an oath.

A brilliant smile lit up Aki's face as he ran into his open arms. He scooped his youngest up and pressed him close to his chest. His eyes closed at the joy at finally having his child in his arms. His scent of baby soap and a parental mixture of Sasuke and him filled his nostrils like a calming balm.

"I missed you, Chichiue." Aki said against his neck.

His son never met him until now and he had missed him. He squeezed Aki to him even tighter, never willing to leave him ever again.

"Enough of this fucking bullshit!" a voice yelled out that had Aki tensing and burying his face further in his neck. He's seen it happen enough times with Sasuke that he knew what it meant – Aki was afraid.

A low growl rumbled threatening in his chest as he stood and glared at the one who caused the fear in Aki. Jouda Ran. The man stalked toward him with such obvious intent of violence it caused the Veteran Akuma, Jun, Yuuto, and Konoha shinobi to tensely step closer. Ran stopped only feet away from him with another ugly scowl directed at him.

"You think you can just breath again and you're back in Sasuke's life." Ran spat so fiercely that it had Aki whimpering. His growl grew in intensity in result of his scared child. "You're so fucking pathetic you're using his kids when he ain't even awake to stop you."

"I'm pathetic?" Naruto began as he shifted Aki where he was holding him with one arm. Just in case Ran was foolish enough to attack him while still holding him. Since Aki had such a tight hold on him, he didn't think his son would allow himself to be put down. "You're the one who's going after a man who wouldn't look twice at you even if you were on fire. Hell. . . he's probably the one who set you on fire."

"Oh I think he was looking twice when he was watching me jack off."

Ran looked far too smug when he said that. Too bad. . . He may not have been there at that particularly event – if it existed to begin with – but he knew Sasuke. "Was that before or after he threatened to kill you? Because I know for a fact he wouldn't find anything arousing about you."

That's all it took to have Ran pulling his arm back. He slid his left leg backwards so the side where Aki was situated on was furthest away from Ran and his oncoming attack. He felt some of the others move forward to intervene, but before any of them could Ran's arm was grabbed, twisted, and thrown face first to the ground with a foot pressed brutally in the middle of his back.

Naruto sucked in a sharp breath at who had Ran in a painful wristlock.

_Sasuke. . ._


	13. Two Halves of One Whole

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Thirteen

**Two Halves of One Whole**

Darkness blanketed Sasuke's mind peacefully until a pressure forced him to wake up. The first thing he noticed upon regaining consciousness was the lack of pain that usually riddled his entire body. He was surprisingly relaxed. Then the yelling began to filter through the headache that was starting. Too loud. . . Yet one of the voices had his instincts pushing him to get up. He had to get up.

He opened his eyes and shut them again when he was met with raw sunlight. He forced himself to keep them open the next time as he tilted his head to the side where the voices were coming from. He blinked, not believing what he was seeing. _Naruto. . . ?_

Naruto was arguing with Jouda Ran, his lips curled back in a snarl, while Aki was perched on his hip with his face buried in the blond's shoulder. He had to be dreaming. There was no other way to explain it.

"Was that before or after he threatened to kill you?" Naruto sneered, "Because I know for a fact he wouldn't find anything arousing about you."

That's when he saw Ran pull his arm back in the classic sign of preparing to throw a punch. His body moved on its own and before he realized it he had Ran's arm in his hand. He twisted and threw Ran face first on the ground, pressing his foot on the middle of his back to keep him from attempting to get back up. If that didn't stop him, then the wristlock he had him in would.

His brows furrowed in confusion as he concentrated on Ran's chakra flow with his activated Sharingan. If this was a dream, then he wouldn't be able to distinguish the sort of detail a living human being's chakra system would have. That could only mean. . .

It wasn't a dream.

His breath ceased as he slowly turned around to face Naruto holding his youngest. And he could have cried out in joy at the chakra system that he would recognize anywhere as being purely Naruto's. He was alive. He was standing right in front of him and he was alive. How was that even possible?

Sasuke took a step forward as his hand loosened around Ran's wrist before letting it drop completely. He then slowly closed the distance between them, honestly afraid that if he moved too fast Naruto would disappear. Not once did he break eye contact with those beautiful sapphires that stared back at him in a mixture of apprehension and longing.

Aki shifted in Naruto's arms and turned back to look at him with Sharingan adorned eyes. "Tou-san look!" Aki said excitedly, "Chichiue came back from heaven! He missed us, Tou-san!"

The words vaguely registered, his heart beating erratically, as he stopped in front of Naruto. His hand came up, needing that physical contact to ensure he was real. His hand was an inch from Naruto's skin when a voice cut through his daze.

"I believe you two have things to discuss in. . . private." Itachi said, causing Sasuke to remember everyone else that surrounded them. He dropped his hand while Itachi continued to say, "I'll look after Aki."

Naruto nodded and shifted to hand Aki over to Itachi, but Aki's arms wouldn't let go from around the blond's neck. "No!" Aki whined, "Don't go Chichiue. I don't want you to go." The tears loud enough for him to hear in his son's voice.

"Hey. . ." Naruto said gently as he bounced Aki softly with his arm. Although, Aki still wouldn't raise his head from Naruto's shoulder. "I'm just gonna go talk to your father for a little bit and then I'll be right back."

"Will you really come back?" Aki asked meekly.

Naruto rubbed his back in a soothing manner. "Of course I will."

"Promise?" Aki said, finally leaning back with tear stains on his face.

Naruto maneuvered Aki to his left arm while he brought up his right hand to Aki's level with his pinky extended. "Pinky swear."

Aki's face brightened and a smile so similar to Naruto's spread widely across it. Aki brought his hand up and wrapped his pinky around Naruto's with a firm tug. "Pinky swear."

Sasuke watched their interaction with an intense feeling of fulfillment at finally seeing 'mother' and son together. Everyone who knew he had a son always said how much Aki looked like him, but hardly anyone knew how much he looked like Naruto. He had the same rounded face as Naruto had when they were younger, the same silly grin, and the most obvious; his eyes that were just as much an open book as Naruto's. But it wasn't just those similarities that Aki inherited, he got a good portion of the blond's personality too.

Naruto kissed Aki's forehead before he handed him over to Itachi. Aki watched every move of Naruto in fear as the blond turned away and faced him again. He could understand his son's fear. He wouldn't be able to let Naruto out of his sight for a long time either.

There was an awkward moment where he waited to see what the blond would do. Naruto nibbled on his bottom lip before he spoke in a nervously low voice, "Follow me." As he turned toward the line of trees Naruto glanced over to Gaara, who stood next to the unconscious Kyosuke, and gave a small nod. Once Gaara returned the nod, Naruto headed into the woods. He followed, his eyes not straying from the back of the blond head in front him.

There were so many questions milling about in his mind. The main one being – How was his dobe even alive? Yet, a part of him honestly didn't care. As long as he was truly alive and had no intentions of leaving him ever again, then how could he care about anything else? The other part of himself though, needed to know. He needed the answers to assure himself that it was all real. He needed it to be real. _Please be real. . ._

"I guess this is far enough. . ." Naruto murmured, stopping.

Naruto barely had time to turn around before he was right there tracing his fingers down the blond's whiskered cheeks. Naruto gasped at his touch, probably feeling the same spark from the skin on skin contact. The same heat he remembered radiated from under his fingertips. Like a furnace. Naruto had always been able to produce so much body heat.

"You're alive. . ." he breathed out.

Naruto nodded, "Yes." Giving him that verbal confirmation.

"How?"

That same simple question. . . but he already suspect the answer was anything but simple.

Naruto stepped away then, turning around and running his hand through his hair before letting it linger behind his neck. That was a clear sign that he was nervous. When Naruto faced him again, he had that same distance as he did throughout their shared dreams. And it was infuriating. "Well. . . Kyuubi wasn't the only one sealed within Aki. I was also."

A disturbing thought entered Sasuke's mind that had his jaw clenching at his next question. "Were you even. . ." He paused for a second, forcing himself to finish. "dead then?"

"Yes!" came Naruto's immediate reply. "That body it couldn't have been saved."

That could only mean one thing. He ran his eyes along Naruto's current body, seeing nothing that would indicate the blond's body was anything but the original. "That's a new body?"

Naruto nodded, "It's not like I could use my old one. I'd be in the same situation as I was."

Those two statements made everything a lot clearer. "You had this all planned." Even he could hear the bitterness in his own voice. This was just another incident where Naruto kept things from him. Lied to him. You'd think he would be use to it. But every time it hurt like a hot poker being stabbed through his chest.

Naruto eliminated the distance between them. "Sasuke, you have to understand. I had no idea this would work. I honestly didn't. I was taking a shot in the dark." And there was even a hint of panic in the blond's voice that begged for him to understand.

"Did Itachi know?" he snapped.

Confusion flashed momentary across Naruto's face. "No. . . Why –"

He cut the other off with a hollow laugh. "You tell him any other thing."

He could tell that Naruto was getting angry by the way his eyes narrowed at him and his jaw clenched. "The only thing he knew was about me wanting Ouroboros to take my body. That's it."

"I guess he was worthy of being told something." he sneered.

The next second Naruto had his shirt gripped tightly in both of his hands. "You look at me and tell me that you would've let Ouroboros take my body. That you would've let _Sohma_." He felt his Sharingan spin rapidly at the mere mention of that monster. "You think I didn't know you would've done everything in your power to keep that from happening. But that's exactly what had to happen."

"Why!" he yelled, furious that he orchestrated this whole thing. Furious that he didn't tell him anything _again_. Furious that he left him alone for three years. "Why this way?!"

"Because it's the only reason Ouroboros hasn't come after Aki until now!" Naruto yelled back with just as much fury. "You think I would just hand over my body to those sick fucks just to find out what they were up to. I didn't care what they were up to at that point. I had to make sure Aki was going to be safe from them. And the only way to ensure that was to make sure they believed my body was still the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi."

Ice cold fear ran through his veins at what extremes Naruto had to go to in order to trick Ouroboros. "What did you do?"

Naruto's grip on his shirt loosened and spread out to lay flat on his chest while the anger drained from his face to be replaced with apprehension. He tried to ignore the sensation of having those hands on him again after three years – tried to hold strong to his anger – but having him so near and _alive_. . . it was damn hard not to let the happiness fill him.

"With a little Fuuinjutsu," Naruto began, "I split Kyuubi's and mine chakra in half and left it in the body."

That effectively shoved all joyous feelings to the back of his mind. "You did what?" He observed Naruto's chakra for the second time and, without the shock hazing his mind, he found it wasn't as vibrant and strong as it use to be. He knew Naruto had an enormous reserve of chakra, but splitting it in half. . . it seemed to have left him extremely weakened. Extremely vulnerable. He hasn't had Naruto back for even thirty minutes and already he can imagine his dobe being taken away from him again. And he could feel that same familiar terror swelling in the pit of his stomach. "Can you get it back?"

"Yeah. . ." Naruto said with a nod. "If I can get close enough to my old body."

"And what about now?" he asked, even though he could see the blond's limited chakra. He may be able to see it, but he couldn't predict how it would affect Naruto. He's always been unpredictable in his limitations. "How's your chakra?"

Naruto hesitated by lowering his gaze to where his hands began to fiddle with the fabric of his shirt. It was easier with his worry for the blond to distract himself from the contact. "I. . . I don't have much left right now. I might've been overexerting myself these past couple of days." He finished with a sheepish grin.

"Meaning?" he pushed the topic. "And don't you lie to me." he added on, since he knew how Naruto would pretend to be fine when he actually wasn't.

A flash of hurt crossed Naruto's face as he lowered his hands from his chest in a dejected manner. He felt a stab of quilt and he crossed his arms in means to ease it. He hadn't meant it the way it came out. Even though he had every right to be suspicious of anything that came out of the blond's mouth, he never liked knowing that he was the one that had hurt him.

He watched as Naruto backed up until he leaned against a tree trunk. The strength he had just seconds before seemed to drain from him with his exhalation of breath. Now the exhaustion he was skillfully hiding was plain to see. "I'm exhausted. I haven't rested since I got back. I wanted to wait until you woke up. I'm glad you woke up, otherwise I'm not sure if I'd made it to Rowen."

_Rowen?_ Now that he actually thought and took in his surroundings, they weren't in the area around the Compound. "Why are we heading to Rowen?"

Confusion crossed Naruto's face for a second before comprehension settled in. "You were unconscious, so you don't know what happened."

"What happened?" If he hadn't seen Aki and Kyosuke – even unconscious – looking fine he would have been panicking just a little bit right about then.

"Niibi and Gobi attacked the Compound." He already had a feeling what they were after before Naruto continued on. "They were after Aki. Somehow Ouroboros found out that Aki was the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi. They tried to protect him, but. . . they didn't stand a chance. I took a risk to keep him out of Ouroboros' hands and extracted myself out of Aki."

Sasuke nodded, but then thought about what he said. "Why was it a risk?"

Naruto looked even more weary at the question. "Because it could've gone terribly wrong. He's so young, Sasuke. I could've really hurt him."

"He appeared fine though." Feeling a rising worry that his son was somehow affected by Naruto's extraction. Although a terrible thought occurred to him on how upset he would actually be with having Naruto back in exchange.

"He is." Naruto's response had that horrific thought fading away. "He only had a little chakra exhaustion, but otherwise he's perfectly fine."

He momentarily breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked about their other son. "And Kyosuke?"

Naruto's face darkened with sadness as he slid down the tree trunk to sit on the ground. He placed his arms on his bent knees and rubbed his face with his hands. For a long moment Naruto didn't speak until he removed his hands and let them dangle between his knees. "Physically he's fine." He lifted his head and stared back at him with that same sadness shadowing his face. "Mentally we won't know until he wakes up. Or as Tara said. . . _if_ he wakes up."

_If?_ That one word sent his already frayed nerves skyrocketing. If' wasn't good enough. There couldn't even be an option of Kyosuke never waking up. He already lost one child, he couldn't lose another. And he wouldn't just lose one, he would lose them both. Aki needed Kyosuke.

He stared back at Naruto, who held the sadness of a mother with the thought of losing their child. Losing both their sons, it would kill Naruto. And he just got him back. . . For the first time since waking up he didn't fight against his instincts that urged him forward. He sat next to Naruto and wrapped his arm around the blond, pulling him against him. His body hummed in contentment at having him so close. Naruto nuzzled his neck, breathing in deeply, and snaked his arm around his waist.

"I'm so tired, Sasuke." Naruto said, his hot breath hitting his neck that caused a shiver to run through his body. It settled in his groin, a region that hasn't responded in any way the past three years, and had his cock hardening. He had actually forgotten what that felt like.

"You can rest soon." he said while running his hand through silk strands of blond hair. Naruto hummed and burrowed closer to his body. When he heard Naruto's breath evening out, he said with a hint of amusement lacing his voice, "You can't sleep yet dobe."

He felt a grin against his neck. "But you're scent's so relaxing. Make's me feel safe. . ."

Warmth spread through his chest, overshadowing the ice that settled there from the news of Kyosuke. He remembered Naruto saying something similar several times over the years. And each time the same warmth filled him, knowing he provoked safety in the blond. Even though he believed he's failed in keeping Naruto safe on many occasions.

A loud explosion resounded and startled them both upright. Sasuke jerked his head in the direction of where the explosion came from. The same direction where their camp was.

_No. . ._ Fear gripped him as he stood and ran at full speed toward their temporary camp, thinking Ouroboros had returned. He felt Naruto next to him, keeping pace with him. Which was only possible by using chakra. Chakra that Naruto didn't have to spare. He gritted his teeth to prevent himself from stopping the blond from being so reckless. He didn't have time. Every second counted.

They broke through the line of trees and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the culprits were only bandits. He did a quick glance to where his sons were and found that Gaara was effectively guarding them and the other children with a sand dome.

Summoning his sword from his wrist seals, he swiftly stabbed the first bandit he came upon in the gut. He twisted the blade and sliced cleanly through the man's side. Another rushed him from behind that had him swirling on the ball of his left foot and swinging his right to kick the man in the jaw. He only staggered back a couple steps before coming at him again with kunai in hand. He parried the swipe to his chest with his sword, using the momentum in the strike to throw the man off balance. He used that split second to drive his blade through the man's jugular.

He didn't wait for the man to drop before he was moving to the next one, slicing that one's arm off before he could send off several explosive tags to where he could sense Naruto was fighting. The man screamed out, and he silenced him by stabbing him through the chest. He turned and found Naruto a few yards away fighting two bandits with his two short swords. The tomoes in his Sharingan spun faster in result to his growing anger. He knew the mechanics of Naruto using those short swords. It required chakra to summon them. Did Naruto not understand he could die _again_ if he didn't stop?

Out of the corner of his vision he noticed a bandit heading straight for Naruto. There was a moments hesitation where he waited to see if the other would sense the danger coming, and when he didn't, he used his speed to make it across the area to block the attack to Naruto's back. He easily disposed of the enemy and turned to check on him. The blond was smiling guiltily up at him with the other two bandits lying dead on the ground.

"Thanks." he said, "Guess I'm a little rusty."

If he hadn't known Naruto for so long and hadn't known where to look, he would have believed in Naruto's words. But with the laborious breaths and profuse sweating by dealing with just a few bandits, he knew the blond was trying to hide how bad off he really was.

Before he could tell the other how idiotic he was being, Naruto looked around them. "Oh look. . . all the bandits have been dealt with." And true enough, as he did the same as Naruto and looked around, he saw no living bandit in their camp. He went back to facing Naruto when he felt his stare. The anger from the blond's stupidity sizzled down to a low burn when he saw the exhaustion present in those blue eyes. "Do you think it's alright if I rest now?"

"Go to sleep dobe." he said as he grabbed his arm, planning to lead him to where Gaara still had his sand dome erected around the children so he could rest there. "I'll take care of everything else." He was startled though when Naruto suddenly collapsed at the end of his sentence. Fear threatened to choke him as he caught him before he could make a hard impact with the ground, thinking the worst.

"Taichou!" he heard Ruri somewhere off to his left.

He gently laid Naruto on the ground and immediately pressed two fingers to the blond's pulse to make he was still alive. He could breath a little better at the pulse that met his fingers. _He's still alive_, he told himself over and over again to reassure himself. To calm that fear he didn't think would ever really ease until he was positive Naruto wouldn't disappear. A lot of time would have to pass before he would be assured enough of that.

Ruri knelt on the other side of Naruto and went right to work by placing her glowing green hands over his chest. He tensed up when he felt others move closer around his unconscious dobe. Their presences so close to Naruto made him feel extremely uneasy, especially when the blond was in such a vulnerable state.

"You all have something to do." came Itachi's demanding voice as he stepped closer. "Get to it."

Many scurried to their duties while the braver ones still lingered. One in particular was loud in taking satisfaction from the blond's condition. He was ready to break every bone in Jouda Ran's body for speaking that way about his dobe, but Itachi blocked his path.

"Now." Itachi ordered in a tone that spoke no disobedience.

There was a moment where Ran glared back at Itachi, then he looked at him and sent him a wink before walking away.

He saw red at the audacity and went to stand to go put him in his place, but was stopped by Itachi placing a hand on his shoulder. "Not now. Naruto needs you more."

That had him calming down enough where he didn't have the violent urge to brutally slam Ran's face in concrete. He focused back on Ruri as she finished up her examination and waited with baited breath for her verdict.

"His chakra level is dangerously low." Ruri said, "His body shut itself down before it resulted in death." He internally cringed at being reminded how fragile having Naruto back really was. "I'm amazed he's stayed conscious this long. Only Taichou could manage something like this."

"How's the rest of him?" he asked.

Ruri glanced up at him with a moment of confusion shadowing her eyes before understanding enlightened them. "There's no negative chakra build-up nor any indication that there were any. Besides his chakra exhaustion, Taichou's perfectly healthy."

He's healthy. . . Sasuke couldn't even remember the last time he was told that regarding Naruto's health. It seemed there had always been that negative chakra build-up looming over the blond's life. And to hear that he was perfectly healthy now. . . it was hard to believe there were no repercussions to his actions. It was then he realized how much he had needed to hear that from a certified medical shinobi when a heaviness lifted from his chest. Naruto was alive _and_ healthy. Those two words gave him actual hope for the future.

He gave her a curt nod and then picked up Naruto to take him over to where Gaara continued to shield the children. Now though it was from the carnage that remained of the battle. He placed him down next to the sand dome, which automatically reformed and created an extended dome of a smaller size to encase the Naruto. He looked over at Gaara, who acknowledged his unspoken inquiry with a nod.

As he went to help to dispose of the bodies he noticed the familiar faces of the recruits in their numbers. He could only assume the attack on the Compound was extensive enough where their evacuation was necessary. He didn't like it though. With them around it was just another threat he had to worry about.

With the Akuma members, Konoha shinobi, and recruits it only took twenty minutes to clear away the dead and any evidence that a battle took place. That's the only time the children were released from the sand dome.

Miki and him were there when the sand deformed and their children and Naruto were released from their protection. Once Aki saw the sight of Naruto lying unconscious just feet from him with his fear induced Sharingan active, he asked, "Was Chichiue tired?"

"Yes, he was very tired." he replied as he approached the slumbering blond.

"But he didn't even say goodnight."

A small smile lifted his lips at his son's innocence. "I know he would have wanted to, but he just couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. You can forgive him, can't you?" Aki's head immediately nodded while his Sharingan slowly faded to reveal his brilliant blues so close to Naruto's. "Good." He affectionately ruffled his son's raven hair before picking Naruto up. "That'd make Chichiue very happy when he wakes up."

While turning, he caught Miki giving him a strange look. And it wasn't just him, but there were several stares directed at him mainly from the newer Akuma members and recruits, who had personal experience with his icy attitude. He really wasn't surprised, since not many – even among the Veterans – witnessed how different he was when he interacted with his sons. He glared back to the ones who stared though, not caring one bit for their ignorance.

He laid Naruto down on the stretcher he had previously occupied, knowing they were going to be leaving just as soon as everyone got organized. He would have preferred to carry him on his back – to keep him close – but the earlier attack made that desire unwise.

As he waited he took notice of the position Naruto chose to walk in the line. A position he found strange. Normally the Veterans would walk either up front or on the outer skirts of the line to keep the others moving, but never right in the middle. This was done even when Naruto was alive. So it wasn't like he was unaware of it. He shrugged it off, wondering why he was putting so much thought into the whole thing. It's not like it really mattered. If this was where Naruto wanted to be, then he was going to stay there. Still. . . it was like Naruto was trying to say something by choosing that spot.

Once he was sure their group was ready to depart he created four Kage Bunshins to carry Kyosuke and Naruto. Unlike the identical copies Naruto would make of himself, Sasuke's Bunshins were plain looking and hooded. He has always been disconcerted with identical clones of himself walking around.

He looked down at Aki glancing back and forth between the stretchers and asked, "Which one would you prefer to ride on?" Since he didn't want him walking.

"Chichiue's!" came Aki's quick reply.

He had a feeling Aki would be attached to Naruto like glue once the blond woke up. Picking his son up, he placed him on Naruto's stretcher and watched as Aki stared at the blond adoringly. _Mother is God in the eyes of a child_, he thought fondly.

A loud whistle sounded out, clearly indicating it was time to move. Gaara appeared then out of nowhere from straying away to god-knows-where and positioned himself in front of the two stretchers. He didn't question Gaara's actions, because he knew the red head would go to great lengths to protect Naruto and his sons. And that's all that mattered to him.

Thankfully no one approached him as they traveled. Sakura almost made an attempt when she past to go to the front, but with a glare she continued through her hesitating pause. All the while, he stayed alert and listened to Aki chatter nonstop about anything. Eventually he quieted down and lowered his head to rest on Naruto's chest, right above his heart. He laid there, apparently listening to the heartbeats, until he fell asleep.

He stared at the two for a long moment with a feeling of adoration. Then he looked over at Kyosuke with the same affection that held an underlying layer of fear for his son. He ran his hand through the boy's brunette hair, silently praying that everything would work out. Everything had to work out.

With getting a late start that morning, they didn't stop again until an hour before nightfall. By then Aki had woken up and was chattering again while the Bunshins settled Naruto and Kyosuke in a spot a little away from the rest of the group. They dispersed afterward as Gaara went off to where the medics were setting up the food station. He caught the sight of Neji heading in the red head's direction, and he vaguely wondered what was going on there. Since the last he knew, Gaara would have preferred to maim the Hyuuga rather than to look at him.

He dismissed his musings, not too interested, and sat down with his back against a tree to wait for the medics to distribute the food. Aki happily sat on his lap then and leaned back against his chest with his head turned up to look at him from an upside-down perspective. He reached up and grabbed one of his bangs, playing with the strands with his fingers.

"When will Chichiue and Aniki wake up?" Aki asked, still focused on his hair.

"Soon." he replied automatically, even though there was that chance Kyosuke wouldn't wake up. He couldn't tell Aki that. "They'll wake up soon."

Aki continued to play with his hair until Jun and Yuuto came up to them with Yuuto carrying two plates of food. He looked at the plates, then up at the two with a raised eyebrow. Yuuto smiled back at him awkwardly while placing the plates on the ground. "We brought you your food." That was obvious.

Jun wasn't even looking at him as he stood there. He was staring at Cho, who laid a few yards to his left, as he fidgeted on the spot. Jun didn't speak for a long moment, Yuuto glancing at him now and then, and once he did he still refused to look away from Cho. "I just wanted it to be known that Yuuto and I had nothing to do with Kane drugging you."

That caused a flash of a little girl standing next to Naruto's old body to appear in his mind. A little girl with golden, blond hair and a single Sharingan. He shook his head of the image. There was no way that was possible. No way. . .

"Don't want there to be any hard feelings." Jun finished almost reluctantly.

Sasuke suspected the only reason Jun was saying any of this was to make sure Naruto wouldn't be angry at him. Jun may hardly have ever showed it, but he cared what Naruto thought of him.

He grunted in response. And Jun had to have been around him for far too long to know what it meant when he merely gave a curt nod in return and immediately went back over to Cho. Yuuto followed with a small smile and a, "Have a goodnight."

Dinner would have past in peace if he hadn't had to stop Aki from trying to feed Naruto and Kyosuke their 'share of dinner' and preventing them from choking to death. That only caused Aki to cry in not understanding why they couldn't eat too and him consoling his son for the next half-hour. By the time it came around for Aki to go to sleep he was looking forward to a little silence. His youngest can be a handful without the help of his brother when he really wanted to be.

Instead of sleeping next to Naruto where he thought he would, Aki curled up next to Kyosuke and fell asleep almost immediately.

Sasuke didn't sleep. Even if he needed to, he wouldn't have felt comfortable in doing so. Not with all these people that held the possibility of hurting his family. All of which were unconscious and vulnerable.

But. . . he could feel his body relax as much as he would allow while still keeping himself alert for any dangers. He found it strange after three years of constant pain for simply breathing that he was able to sit there without the desire to scream out in agony. His eyes drifted over to Naruto and settled there, finding his reason for everything. Naruto could make him whole just as easily as he could break him. The blond has always had that much power over him.

He wasn't aware how long he merely stared at him, but he was startled out of his daze by Naruto moving for the first since he collapsed. His head lolled to the side, and then his body followed by turning on its side. There was a moment where he stilled, but then his hand drifted up to his face and rubbed slightly. Sasuke held his breath when Naruto pushed himself up on his feet and began to walk over to him. By the way the blond dragged his feet as his body swayed and by the way of his unfocused eyes, he knew Naruto wasn't completely awake. It wasn't the first time the other has practically slept walked.

Once Naruto was in front of him, he laid back down in between his legs and rested his head right on his thigh as his arm clung to the rest of his leg. Before he knew it he heard soft snores from the blond, indicating he had fallen back to sleep.

Normally he would have rolled his eyes at the blond's antics, instead he gently ran his hand through blond strands of his love. Soft. . . like his hair had always been. A pressure built behind his eyes as he stared down at the one person it had been so hard to live without. Naruto snuggled closer to his leg in result to his hand's continued ministrations through his hair. The movement caused a stirring in his groin, which contrasted greatly with his emotions.

He sighed and leaned his head against the trunk of the tree in his attempt to ignore his rapidly hardening cock. He felt a tear slide down his cheek and he quickly wiped it away. By some miracle or by skillfully connived planning, he had Naruto back. And he would be damned if he made the same kind of mistakes that would cost him to lose his dobe for a third time.

For the rest of the night he watched Naruto sleep peacefully. By the time morning came around not only was his leg dead asleep after only two hours of being laid on, but his thigh was drenched with drool. If it wasn't for the fact he couldn't feel his leg and in turn would have made it difficult to defend his family if an attack happened to occur, then he wouldn't have minded his predicament. He desperately missed these odd kind of situations Naruto somehow always got him in. Now the question was: How was he suppose to disentangle the blond from his leg without waking him?

Around him others were waking and busying themselves for their coming departure. Several glanced his way with various expressions of shock who weren't wearing a mask at his additional appendage. It was either because of his aversion to being touch or that 'Tatsuo', their ruthless leader, was snuggling like a child to his leg. Either way their stares were irritating and had him glaring at whoever had the guts to look.

His whole body tensed at the sight of Ran marching over in his direction with an ugly scowl covering his face. He wouldn't have reacted at all if the man's menacing glare was directed at him and not at Naruto. Ran's obsession with him was on a verge of crossing a line that he would have no problem killing him over. Since it was one thing to target him in one way or another, but Naruto was off limits. Especially now, he would do anything to keep the blond safe.

Before Ran could make it even halfway to them, sand wrapped around the man's ankle, resulting in him falling flat on his face with a grunt. Gaara stepped into view and lifted Ran up by his arm with his sand. He could only tell that Gaara spoke by the tightening of Ran's jaw. Then Gaara shoved the other in the opposite direction and turned to him, giving him a curt nod before walking off.

"You have to admit. . ." Naruto's groggy voice suddenly spoke, startling him. "Gaara has good timing."

He looked down at Naruto, who rolled onto his back and was now staring up at him from between his legs. Not a good place for Naruto to be if he wanted to keep himself in control over his raging hormones. He guessed after three years of being repressed they were refusing to be ignored. That was evident in the hard-on he had throughout the whole night.

"Or bad timing. . ." Naruto continued, oblivious to his turmoil of his current position. Or was doing it purposely. "It all depends on how _badly_ you wanted to put that little shit in his place."

He bent his sleeping leg to distract himself from the blond's position and asked, "Good timing for now." He rubbed his leg in hope to wake it up. "I expected you to sleep longer."

Naruto pouted in a way that had a shiver of desire to run through his body. "What? Not happy to have my sparkling personality to keep you company?" His only response was a lifted eyebrow that hopefully showed how ridiculous that sounded. "Fine." he relented, "Maybe I could sleep a couple more days, but I'm good for now." Naruto then glanced curiously over to where he was rubbing his leg and asked, "What's wrong with your leg?"

He smirked, unable to resist. "Your fat head caused it to go to sleep." Although it did not go unnoticed the effective change of subject.

Annoyance flooded Naruto's features for a second, then a mischievous glint entered those blues eyes as he got up on his knees. "Here, let me help you."

His leg jumped slightly when the blond's hands made contact and began to rubbed softly. The skin was already tingling and edging on being painful as his leg began to wake up, but that was quickly overshadowed by the warmth of those hands. They trailed teasingly close to his crotch on their way down, where his cock desperately wanted those hands to be. Wrapped around him, stroking him. _Fuck. . ._ His cock pulsed at the imagery. That was definitely not helping him. Especially not with so many eyes directed at them.

He grabbed a wrist of one of the blond's hands, stalling them. He was tempted to redirect that hand to where he really wanted it to be, but refrained. Instead he said, "My leg's fine now." Blue eyes blinked back at him with innocence shining in their depths. Far too much innocence that it caused him to be automatically suspicious.

A smile lengthen Naruto's mouth as he leaned back and sat down at the end of his feet. He yawned before he asked, "Anything good happen while I was out?"

Shifting awkwardly in his position, he caught sight of Naruto's lips twitching in what he could see was amusement. His eyes narrowed at the sneaky blond, knowing full well that leg massage was done on purpose. "No." he answered shortly, slightly irritated with the predicament in his pants. It's been far too long since the last time he had to deal with a hard-on.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and turned toward Aki when his small voice called out, "Chichiue?" Then Aki was sitting up abruptly once his eyes focused on Naruto. "Chichiue, you're awake!" A smile broke out on Aki's face as he stood up and rushed into Naruto's waiting arms.

Naruto lifted him up off the ground before settling Aki down on his lap with an equally bright smile adorning his face. "And how's my littlest man?"

Aki giggled and wiggled in Naruto's arms as the blond assaulted Aki's sides. "Stop. . . Chichiue. . ." Aki managed to get out through his giggles while swatting at tan hands.

With a small smile, Sasuke watched the two interact throughout the morning. He enjoyed picking up on the similarities between them. They were so much alike it was amusing to see. And when it was time to leave his earlier prediction was proven correct; Aki stuck to Naruto like glue.

By the time they made it to their new hideout, which had only been a few more hours, Aki was fast asleep in Naruto's arms. And Naruto seemed to want to follow Aki's example by the amount of yawning he was doing. A clear sign that Naruto wasn't completely up to par. But at least his chakra was stronger than before with the small amount of rest he had gotten.

As the others began to file into the new building, Itachi came up to them and he noticed how Naruto tensed at Itachi's presence. "The perimeter needs to be secured." A job only Veterans conducted.

"Well. . . I need to get Kyosuke to the medical facility." His head snapped to Naruto, fear gripping every nerve ending at the thought of being separated from the blond so soon. "You can find us there when you're done."

His whole body tightened to prevent himself from following Naruto as he trailed after the Bunshins carrying Kyosuke into the building. Panic rose in him like a tidal wave once he lost sight of Naruto. He took a step forward, his willpower weakening with every second that past. A hand landed on his shoulder, stopping his progress to the entrance. "The faster this gets done. . ." Itachi spoke, "The faster you can get back to Naruto."

It was harder than he thought to turn away from the entrance and get to work on the protection of their new hideout. It unfortunately took a little longer than normal with only Itachi, Ruri, and himself working the seals. His body remained tight with tension throughout the entire process, unable to ebb the panic that bubbled just beneath the surface. He only felt a little relief once he was able to track Naruto's chakra signature to locate him. But instead of his chakra signature sending him to the medical facility, it had him going to the personal quarters of the base.

As he past a closed door with enough traps and wards to warrant a Kage being behind it, he felt Aki's chakra signature. He continued on to the next door and entered without thinking of knocking. The room was moderate in size with a double-sized bed and a single dresser to his right. There were two doors; one at the far back that led to the bathroom and another to his left that he assumed led to Aki's room. Naruto sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall until he came in, and then those sapphire orbs were staring at him.

The sight of Naruto had the pounding panic easing into a low hum of reassurance. "You said I could find you at the medical facility." he said as he moved to the bed and sat down to unlace his boots.

He felt Naruto's eyes on him, and then the bed shifted as Naruto stood up and walked to the small section of bare wall in front of him to lean against. Sasuke paused in taking off his second boot at the distance he suspected Naruto was trying to create. Why though?

"I did. . ." Naruto's bottom lip was between his teeth while his eyes were cast to the floor. "But I couldn't take seeing Kyosuke locked up like that. Plus Yuuto and Jun promised to keep an eye on him. Also I put enough wards to keep a cherished jewel safe. So, I'm confident enough that no one'll be able to touch him. Well, besides Ruri-chan, that is."

"Are you sure it's alright to be using your chakra?" he asked with narrowed eyes as he finished taking off his boot. Then he went on to take his arm protectors off with sharp tugs, getting irritated by the blond's fascination with the floor.

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly, only pissing him off more. "I had enough."

There was a moment of silence where he finished unstrapping his arm protectors and placing them next to his boots. Then he was right in front of Naruto with his hands pressed against the wall on both sides of his head. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong or continue to have a silent conversation with the floor?"

Naruto's head snapped up then, making him very aware of how close they were. He could practically feel the blond's body heat seep into his skin and warm him up. He watched as the other averted his eyes and mumbled, "It's kind of stupid."

"Am I suppose to be surprised by this?" he said with a smirk.

A petulant glare was what he got in return for that comment before Naruto went back to his nervous avoidance. "It's just I never really asked. . . I've only been assuming. . ."

"You're going to have to be more specific than that, dobe." he said only after the other went silent for too long.

Naruto sighed, "Do you even want me here?" The question shocked Sasuke right to the core. "I-I mean. . . Here. . . in the same room. . . in-in the same bed. . . You may've accepted me among the others, b-but it doesn't mean you want –"

Sasuke stopped the blond's ramblings by kissing him, forcibly plunging his tongue in the warm cavern. He groaned out in pure delight when he was assaulted by the others' taste. A taste he craved like no other. A taste that had his cock hardening all on its own. Want. . . He thought Naruto understood by now that he only wanted him and him alone.

He pressed the entire length of his body against the other, causing twin moans to escape them when their erections rubbed against each other through layers of material. It's been too long. Far too long since he had his dobe by his side. The ache of that knowledge burned, but it wasn't as hot as the desire that had his skin on fire now. The flames being stoked by the hands that traveled down his covered chest and slid under his shirt to touch his bare skin. He jerked, his hips rolling forward at the shock of pleasure that simple touch created.

Their kiss was broken by Naruto banging his head back against the wall and moaning out his name. A sound that went straight down to his cock. He leaned forward and licked a long strip along the others' jaw before nipping his earlobe. "I thought you were tired." he said with another nip to the tender ear.

The hands under his shirt moved to his back and lowered to cup his ass, encouraging his hips to keep rocking. "I have complete confidence in you to keep me awake." Naruto panted out, sapphires dark and lidded with lust and shining with the unmistakeable gleam of love. A love that's always been solely his. _Mine. . ._

He moved down to suck a patch of skin on the slender neck before biting down, marking him. That seemed to have triggered something in Naruto, because he growled and gripped the bottom of his shirt, yanking the material up. He leaned back and lifted his arms, letting the other take his shirt off and throw it to the side. Those dark blue eyes darken further once they landed on his bare chest, particularly eating him alive with the way he licked his lips like a predator.

Those sinful hands were back on him, touching him sensually starting from his collarbone and ending at the waistband of his pants where they lingered. Shivers ran wildly through his body from the strokes, pushing him far too easily to the edge of his control. Then eyes locked on his own, a wicked intent in their depths, as Naruto leaned forward and took a nipple into his mouth. He gasped at the sensation, gripping blond hair when a tongue swiped over the erect bud. A nip followed, then a harsh suck while he felt hands working on unbuckling his pants. A hand slid in his pants, the hot warmth sliding down and wrapping around his erection.

He lost it right then.

There was no more patience nor self-control to take the slow torture of foreplay. He needed Naruto. . . He had needed Naruto for the past three years.

Gripping blond hair, he yanked Naruto from his nipple and smashed those delectable lips to his own while his body pressed the other roughly against the wall. Then his hands swiftly lifted Naruto up by the back of his thighs, which resulted in Naruto wrapping his legs around his waist. Their lips not once disconnected until he crossed the small distance and dropped the blond on the bed.

A yelp came from Naruto when he landed and Sasuke smirked as he crawled up the smaller body, who's legs spread wider to accommodate him. Naruto glared back at him half-hardheartedly, but it quickly changed into one of dazed pleasure when he maneuvered his hands under the black shirt Naruto still wore and trailed up. The shirt followed, and Naruto shifted his upper half around until the shirt was completely taken off. Then there he was, his love, laying there with such a pretty blush dusting his whiskered cheeks and a deliciously large expanse of bare skin before him.

It was then he noticed for the first time the two missing foxes tattoo that use to cover the entire length of his right arm. One that use to give off an ominous vibe. He wondered how he could have not realized the sealing was gone.

"What happened to the sealing of the two foxes?" he asked as he traced his fingers down the bare arm, enjoying the shiver that ran through the body beneath him.

"I-I-I told you b-before I regretted getting them." Naruto said in such a husky voice that it almost sent the sliver of self-control he's managed to gain in that second to dissipate. "So t-this time I-I didn't."

He grunted in response, unwilling to go in depth on that at the moment. Instead he pecked Naruto on the lips before repeating the motion down his neck and chest. He stuck his tongue in his bellybutton when he came to it, which had hips lifting off the bed and a moan to fill the air. Moving a little lower he gave one last nip at the waistband of his pants before he leaned back to bring his hands to the blond's belt in order to get those damn pants off.

Just as he got Naruto's pants opened and was more than prepared to yank them and the boxers down in one go, a loud scream came from the next room.

It was like a bucket of ice cold water.

Him and Naruto moved in unison as they rushed to the door that connected their room to Aki's. They burst through the door, Naruto immediately heading to Aki and picking him up in his arms while he scanned the room with his Sharingan. When he found no threat he turned to Naruto and shook his head, indicating there was no one else in the room.

Naruto visibly relaxed and continued the soothing rub on Aki's back, who appeared close to hyperventilating with how hard he was crying. His small arms were wrapped tight around Naruto's neck with his face buried in the crook. He went to turn the light on before he approached the two, his hand joining Naruto's to hopefully help in calming their son.

"What's wrong, Aki?" His voice was calm and reassuring. "What made you scream out?"

For a long moment there was only the sound of muffled crying, then a garbled of what he thought were words came from him. He didn't understand what was said, but apparently Naruto had, because he winced and cursed silently. He lifted his brow in question.

"There was no one here when he woke up."

That was enough explanation for him to silently curse also. There wasn't a moment in Aki's life that he was ever left alone by himself. There was someone else always with him. He should have known that if Aki woke up by himself that he would have reacted like this. But he was so wrapped up in the feel of overflowing warmth of having Naruto in his arms again that he hoped Aki would have slept through the night.

He moved some of Aki's hair to the side and leaned in to kiss a part of his head that he could reach. "I'm sorry, son." he whispered against his strands. When he pulled back he came face to face with Naruto staring at him with a loving smile. He couldn't help but to give the other a chaste kiss. "Come on, dobe. Let's go to bed."

Aki tightened his arms around Naruto's neck at his words, like he was going to be left behind. He almost snorted at that. There was no way he was going to leave their son alone when it clearly upset him. And there was no doubt that Naruto felt the same with the way there was no hesitation in taking Aki with him in their room.

There was not a moment where Aki detached himself from Naruto. Sasuke found it extremely amusing. Especially when Naruto was trying to get ready for bed by working on getting his pants off with one hand. He offered no help, which received an annoyed glare from the blond, but he did get a teasing peek of a tan ass-cheek and a glimpse of the branding tattoo just above the blond's ass.

A shot of desire flooded his system, re-hardening his cock like the fear for his son hadn't happened. He gritted his teeth and ignored it as best he could, since he couldn't do anything about it anyway.

He turned the light off before getting into bed, where Naruto and Aki were already settling in. Naruto scooted as close to him as possible with Aki sandwiched between them. Contentment spread through his body, acting like a relaxant as he felt every muscle relax under the presence of two of the most important people in his life. If only Kyosuke was there, then it would have been perfect. Then he could have had a moment of peace.

Faster than he expected, sleep overtook him. And for the first time in years. . . he didn't fear it. . .

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter actually came out longer than expected. The excitement will be slow for - I believe - the next two chapters. Then all hell is going to break loose - figuratively and literally.<strong>


	14. Wide Awake

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Fourteen

**Wide Awake**

The room was dark with only a single lamp lit as Itachi paced back and forth. He usually wasn't someone who paced, but he was worried. Terribly worried. . .

Naruto being brought back to life was completely unexpected and unplanned for. He never even gave that line of thought any time to take root, because he didn't believe it was possible. So he didn't worry too much on what Naruto would think of the actions he has taken. That was his mistake. He should have at least humored the idea that if someone was going to resurrect themselves, then it was going to be Naruto.

_Foolish. . ._ he berated himself. Now he would have to live with the consequences that would come from the choices he's made. One in particular he was honestly afraid of ever approaching.

And that was the matter of Asuka.

He tried to kill his own niece. Naruto's and Sasuke's child. How was he suppose to explain that away? It was simple. . . he wasn't. There was no explanation that would make that alright. He thought he could handle Asuka without Sasuke ever finding out; it would've been better that way, his brother had enough on his plate. He should have known it wouldn't be solved that easily. And now Naruto was in the mix, causing his confidence to dwindle down and be replaced with worry.

He betrayed the only family he had left. He betrayed them in the worst possible way. And what's more. . . he wasn't so sure he could fix it.

* * *

><p>Enormously loud thuds startled Naruto awake from a restful slumber. He jerked himself into a sitting position, still partly asleep with how slow his mind was being at processing what was going on. He found he wasn't the only one awake, Sasuke was also upright and looking far more awake than he was.<p>

He rubbed his face groggily. "What the hell was that? Is someone training?"

"I don't know." Sasuke said curtly, his body far too tense for whatever it was to be nothing.

If that hadn't woken him up fully, then the following loud thuds would have. There was no more questioning on what was going on, those didn't sound like normal training noises. It sounded like another attack. _Really?_ They both moved by jumping off the bed and grabbing their pants. It was in record time that they got themselves dress. Sasuke even went as far as to secure his arm protectors on before heading for the door.

Naruto created three Fukai-Kage Bunshins to watch over Aki while they were gone. Two were to stay in the room while the third guarded the door from the outside.

"Naruto." Sasuke whispered in warning on his usage of chakra. His voice quiet to make sure not to wake Aki.

He waved the warning off, feeling fine to make three Fukai-Kage Bunshins. He had enough rest where he didn't feel like he was going to fall asleep at a drop of a hat. And his chakra may not be as strong as he was use to, but he was still strong enough to perform his ninjutsu. Just not enough to take it to the extremes like he normally would.

_**Yeah. . . try not to do that. . . **_

_Kyuu!_ he responded to Kyuubi's weary voice. _You've been far too silent. It's completely unnatural. _This was the first time he's heard from Kyuubi since he got back. He's only been assuming that the Fox has been resting up. Which apparently was true with what the demon said next.

_**Haha. . . You try bringing someone back to life and see how you feel. **_

He couldn't. It had to have taken an enormous amount of chakra to create a whole new body and tether them both to it. He would have been surprised if Kyuubi wasn't exhausted.

_Sorry. . . You feeling alright?_

_**Just remind me never to go along with any of your plans again. They never go well for me. . . Anyway, you probably won't be hearing from me for a little while. Just wanted to make sure you knew I still existed.**_

_What? Why?_

_**Oh. . . I have my reasons.**_

"Dobe?" Sasuke's voice brought him back to reality where they were heading down the corridor toward the disturbance. He must have zoned out with the way Sasuke was looking at him. He wondered what Kyuubi was getting up to this time. Should he be worried? Probably.

He grinned sheepishly. "Kyuu finally made himself known again."

Sasuke nodded before they turned a corner and caught sight of a crowd gathered further down the hallway. The thuds had become crashes and were deafening now as they got closer. As they approached, the crowd parted for them once they noticed their presences. When they made it through, there was Ruri standing in front of the closed double doors to the research department of the base. There was only one chakra signature in the room beyond. Jun. . .

"I told him." Ruri said without taking her eyes from the floor.

Naruto sucked in a sharp breath. That could only mean she told Jun about Cho's miscarriage. He glanced at the small window in the double doors as another loud crash sounded. Jun was hurting. With every lash out that was made it was equivalent to a scream. It was hard to hear. He knew exactly how it felt to lose a child. How agonizing it could be. And this whole situation just reminded him.

He turned around and pressed his hand flat against Sasuke's chest, pushing him back in the direction of where they came from. He got a questioning look for his actions. "I'll tell you in private." he told him.

Sasuke's response was to turn around and grab his hand to lead them both back to where they came from. Before they made it back to their room though, Naruto stopped Sasuke and pulled him into another room. He performed a silencing jutsu, which had a glare directed to him by Sasuke. He rolled his eyes, "My chakra's fine, teme."

"But not at full strength."

He sighed, unwilling to fight with Sasuke about his chakra. He had a feeling they would come to blows about it sooner or later, but right then he preferred later. Much later.

"I thought we were here to bring you up to speed on what happened to Cho." Sasuke's jawed clenched with apparent anger, but otherwise remained silent. He hesitated at first, but then managed to get out, "Cho was pregnant."

The anger drained from Sasuke's face along with the little color in his complexion. "Was?"

He nodded, feeling sick just thinking about it. His and Cho's situation was far too close in similarity that it was hard not to remember his own loss. "She had a miscarriage." He tried, but he couldn't stop his voice from cracking. "I'm guessing when they injected her."

Arms encircled him and brought him against a broad chest before he even realized Sasuke had moved. He relaxed in the embrace, encircling his arms around the raven's waist while nuzzling his nose against his chest to inhale the scent that resembled the only true home he's ever known. His security. He closed his eyes, finding that tears rolled down his cheeks when he did so.

A hand soothingly ran through his hair, calming in a way that only Sasuke could. "Then the ruckus was Jun taking the news badly."

"Real bad. . . If the sounds of destruction was any indication."

"He lost something that was irreplaceable. Could you really blame him if he destroyed the whole place?"

"No." he said while shaking his head. "Maybe it's a good thing you didn't react like that. I don't think I'd been able to handle it at the time."

There was a moment of silence before Sasuke said, "I did react like that though." which had Naruto leaning back and staring at Sasuke in confusion. He didn't remember Sasuke reacting violently to the news about their deceased daughter. He was angry, but he didn't lash out to the point of destroying everything around him. "It was after the first visit to her grave –" Sasuke went on, probably sensing the need to explain. "I managed to get a moment to myself in the woods and I took my rage out on the surroundings."

"It is healthier to let it out, instead of keeping it all pent-up inside like you usually do." That earned him an annoyed glare that held little heat behind it. He grinned back at his stoic raven and leaned up to kiss him.

Once their lips touched he was lost to the taste of the man before him and the feel of his hands on his body. Their tongues sensually danced with a tenderness that had nothing to do with the arousal heating his whole system. When they separated for air, he whispered, "I love you. . . You do know that, right?" Feeling the need for Sasuke to know.

"You're still an idiot." Sasuke said with clear affection as his hand gently ran down the side of his face. He leaned in close, just an inch from his ear, and licked the lobe. He moaned at the contact, then shivered when Sasuke's hot breath hit the moistened appendage as he said, "But you're my idiot. My beautiful, beautiful idiot. God, I love you so much."

And Naruto knew that. For the past three years he's been watching Sasuke and how his death affected him. Most times it was painful to view. But it cemented a fact he already knew. . . Sasuke loved him. What he feared though, was that with all the mistakes in his choices that Sasuke didn't believe in the love he had for him. He didn't want Sasuke doubting him. Not on something that's only grown more intense as time's gone by.

"But you do know that I love you?"

There was an almost desperateness there that had Sasuke pulling back and looking at Naruto in question. What was the dobe getting at? Of course he knew Naruto loved him. Yes, back in Konoha, he had doubted that love at first, but he's never doubted it since. Even with the recent deception, he still believed in Naruto. There wasn't much that Naruto couldn't do that would cause him to lose faith in him, because mostly his choices were made out of love.

"I've made a lot of mistakes. . ." Naruto continued to speak, his hands noticeably shaking on his arms. "And a lot of them hurt you –" He stopped Naruto right there by using his hand to cover his mouth.

"Dobe. . . I haven't doubted your love for me since our time in Konoha. I know you love me. I wouldn't have stuck around this long if you didn't." That was a little white lie. He honestly wasn't sure if he could actually walk away from Naruto. If it was the Uchiha genetic trait or his love for his blond idiot, he couldn't say for sure that he could leave Naruto if things ever got to the point where he would actually consider it.

Tears brimmed Naruto's eyes as he flung his arms around his neck. "I love you, Sasuke. I've loved you since we were kids. I don't ever want you to think otherwise."

Hearing those words and believing every ounce of emotion put behind them, he doubted it would ever get to that point where he would have to consider leaving Naruto. Because here, in the blond's arms, was the only place he ever wanted to be.

"Shit!" Naruto suddenly cursed while extracting himself from his arms. "Aki's awake."

Sasuke agreed with Naruto's urgency as they exited the room they were in and made it the short distance to their room. Upon entering, they found Aki curled up on the bed with his head buried in his knees. Aki lifted his head once they were in the room with tears in his Sharingan adored eyes. "Chichiue, Tou-san!" he whined while reaching his arms out.

Naruto immediately went and took Aki into his arms, then sat down on the bed to sooth their son. As Sasuke moved to stand in front of his love and son, he noticed the Fukai-Kage Bunshins slowly dispersing. Probably to ensure the sudden way to disperse them wouldn't scare Aki further.

He bent down and kissed the top of Aki's head. "We're here, Aki. There's nothing to fear." he added to Naruto's soothing words. Still, Aki kept his face buried in the crook of Naruto's shoulder. "Why don't we go have some breakfast, then we can visit Kyosuke."

That got his son moving by tilting his head to the side to look back at him. "Really? We can visit Aniki?"

A humorous smile broke out from Naruto. One of which he tried his best to ignore as he said, "Yes, as long as you eat your breakfast." Aki was nodding his head before he even finished his sentence.

Naruto stood from the bed then with Aki still clinging to him in his arms. The grin never left as Naruto eyed him. "I wonder if you were so easily manipulated when we were younger when it came to your Abikaasa."

Sadly, yes he was when they knew to use it. And mainly that knowledge was left only with Itachi. He remembered a time when Itachi blackmailed him in taking some disgusting tasting cough medicine when he was sick with a cold in exchange for tagging along with him the next time he met up with Naruto once he was better. He didn't complain since about taking his medicine, even when he gagged after every dosage.

"Yes." he answered, which had Naruto chuckling alongside him.

Naruto was still laughing as they made their way down the hallway toward the cafeteria and Sasuke relished in the sound. It's been too long since he had enjoyed Naruto's laughter that he didn't feel annoyed that the blond was laughing at his expense. Just minutes before he revealed his brother's manipulation of him when he was younger after some pestering from Naruto, who hadn't stopped laughing since. Somewhere through the laughter Naruto managed to get out something about it being adorable, which he scoffed at. Itachi was just using any method to get him to do what he wanted.

Abruptly, the laughter died down and he glanced over at Naruto to see why. Naruto was staring forward with a guarded expression he remembered seeing when they first got to their new hideout. At the same time that Itachi approached them. He faced forward again and there was Itachi coming down the hallway toward them. He had his own reasons to be apprehensive of Itachi, but why was Naruto?

"Are you headed for breakfast?" Itachi asked once he was standing before them.

"Hmn." he grunted in response.

"Afterward," Itachi began with his attention directed at Naruto. "you could perhaps give that explanation you promised earlier."

"No!" Aki hollered, his head lifting from Naruto's shoulder and looking five seconds away from throwing a fit. "We're gonna visit Aniki after I eat _all_ my breakfast." Aki then turned back to Naruto and asked meekly, "We are gonna still visit Aniki?" Those puppy-dog eyes he inherited from Naruto probably making their grand entrance.

The cold features that Naruto wore upon Itachi's arrival morphed into a loving smile as he assured their son. "Of course we are. Your Ita-ji can wait. Can't you 'Tachi?" The blond's last question being directed at his brother who didn't appear to be bothered by Naruto's odd behavior toward him.

Itachi nodded. "After your visit with Kyosuke then?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and said in exasperation, "Fine." Then he walked around Itachi and headed toward the cafeteria that should just be down at the end of the next hallway. He followed after Naruto, eying his brother as he past him and wondering what transpired between the two to have Naruto showing such ill will toward the one person he knew the blond use to trust like family.

"What would you like done with the recruits who aided us?" Itachi asked in an offhanded manner.

"I don't care!" Naruto threw over his shoulder without stopping his progress forward. "Do whatever you want with them!"

Sasuke thought he had been just imagining it, but with the way Naruto reacted to a decision solely for the leader of Akuma to make, he was pretty sure it wasn't his imagination at all. Naruto was avoiding his role as Tatsuo.

"What was that about?" he questioned once they had gotten their food and were seated at a table at the back of the cafeteria, away from all the others. He automatically grabbed Aki's plate and began to cut the food into smaller pieces for him to eat.

"What was what about?" Naruto spoke with far too much ignorance.

He leveled Naruto with a stare as he past the plate of cut food to Aki. "What's going on with you and Itachi?"

Naruto grimaced. "You're making it sound like we're having an affair." Ten years ago that comment would have had him seething with jealousy, but Sasuke was quite positive there was nothing going on between Naruto and Itachi, and never has been. "I don't know. . ." Naruto said with a sigh. "I really don't know. . . but I just don't trust him anymore."

"Itachi must've done something for you to not trust him, besides his usual underhandedness." he pushed, being far too curious to let it go. What had Itachi done to have Naruto of all people not trust him? His protectiveness soared at the possibilities that flooded his mind.

"I could say it was because of the way Itachi's been lying to you these past three years, but that would make me a hypocrite if I did that. Even though that is part of the reason." Naruto wore an apologetic smile for a second before he frowned with a crinkle of his brows. "But there's something else. Something I can't really place. Every time I look at 'Tachi now, I get a strong sense of anger and betrayal. I don't know where it's coming from. . ." There was a moment before Naruto continued to ask, "Do you know what Itachi, Ruri-chan, and Miki are hiding?"

Honestly, he wasn't aware they were hiding anything besides what's become the normal for him. "Not really." he said as Naruto shifted Aki on his lap – where their son refused to leave – so he could scoot closer to the table to make it easier on Aki to eat.

"Gaara and I think it has something to do with that mission they were on while you were dealing with Konoha."

"Sabaku?" was his initial reaction, his eyebrow raised.

Naruto chuckled, "Seriously. . . I was under the impression you two were at least tolerating each other."

"We are." he said curtly. "All that was said about the mission was that they came across a lackey that caused them some trouble." And he took it at face value, because he had more pressing matters to worry about at the time. Now that he looked back and thought about it the excuse – although plausible – was a little suspicious. "But why couldn't my summons reach them?"

"What?" Naruto asked, sounding alarmed.

"Grrt yoo garon eeeet?" Aki's voice broke through their conversation that had them both looking at him with his head tilted back to look at them and his mouth full.

Naruto appeared amused, but Sasuke's immediate response was, "Don't talk with your mouth full."

Aki chewed, then swallowed before he spoke again. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

That question reminded them of the two plates of food that were left untouched for the past ten minutes. The food was probably cold by now, but Sasuke was far too hungry from not eating dinner the previous night to worry about it. And Naruto. . . Naruto could practically eat anything. So a little cold food isn't going to bother him.

"Yeah we are, sweetie." Naruto said while kissing the top of Aki's head. "Don't worry, you'll get to see Kyosuke soon enough." He then grabbed his chopsticks and took a large bite of his food at the same time that Aki stabbed another piece of sausage with his fork and ate it. "So what about your summons?" Naruto asked with the same problem as Aki had just a minute before – with his mouth full.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blond. "Don't eat with your mouth full, dobe." he reprimanded, which caused Aki to giggle.

Naruto rolled his eyes, but he did chew and swallow, then opened his mouth wide to show the lack of contents. Smartass. "Careful, dobe." he began, a smirk playing on his lips. "You're just inviting me to shove something else in your mouth." And the imagery that accompanied that thought had his cock hardening from past memories.

For a second, Naruto looked shocked, but he quickly recovered by clearing his throat. He eyed him out the corner of his eye and murmured, "That was evil. . ." But even with all that, the blush didn't ease from his face.

He chuckled lowly, enjoying the blush on his love. "Next time you'll think twice."

Naruto snorted, "Doubt it."

So did he. The dobe rarely thought twice about what he did. Maybe that's why the blond has made so many mistakes in his life. In a way, he loved that about him. He's always acted first, even when they were younger, and then thought about the consequences of his actions. Obviously, there were times that he also hated that attribute about him.

"What's so important about my summons not reaching them anyway?" he asked, getting back to their previous conversation and to his food.

"Well. . . you remember when I was taken by Ouroboros back in Konoha?" How could he forget? He remembered every single moment he had become terrified in his life, which had occurred far too many times to even count. "You said my summons couldn't find me."

"Yes, because you were within a barrier powerful enough to block a summons' bond." Naruto gave him a look, like he should be getting something. "Dobe, you and your fox had a summons/master connection. Much deeper than my summons trying to locate others not under his pact. A decently raised barrier would be able to block that out."

"If this was normal circumstances, I wouldn't think twice about it. But this is Ouroboros. They're far too confident in themselves to bother with barriers unless they were trying to protect something."

He had a point. "Then what are they trying to protect? Your body?"

An image of the Fox-masked body of Naruto's standing in a darken hallway similar to those where they found Kyosuke and Cho entered his mind. But what really bothered him was the image of the young, blond girl he kept seeing standing next to him. A girl he's never seen before. Then. . . why did he keep seeing her in his mind ever since he woke up from his drug-induced sleep? Was it a byproduct of the drug? Or did seeing them actually happen? And if he had seen them; how could she possibly have a single Sharingan?

"_Hello father."_

The two words echoed in his mind, causing his stomach to drop in dread. No, no, no. . . it wasn't possible. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. It wasn't possible. . .

A hand touched the side of his face before cupping the back of his neck. The gesture had his body relaxing from the anxiety that had filled him from the line of thought his mind had taken. "Sasuke. . . What's wrong?"

He rubbed his forehead. "I'm thinking stupid things."

"I guess there's always a first for everything." There was amusement beneath the worry that he appreciated.

Opening his eyes, he turned to Naruto and saw the worry much more prominent in his eyes that he was trying to hide in his voice. "You said you kept an eye on Ouroboros when you were. . ." He let his sentence trail off, unable to voice the blond's death. Naruto understood though and nodded. "Have you ever noticed Ouroboros having a young child around them?"

Confusion crinkled Naruto's brow. "No. . . Why?"

He shook his head. "I thought I saw something that couldn't possibly be real."

"Like what?"

Again he shook his head, unwilling to worry Naruto with things he was beginning to believe were all in his head. "Just after effects of the drug Itachi gave me."

Naruto appeared to have wanted to say more, but Aki chose that moment to declare quite loudly, "I'm done!" His arms flinging up to accompany his loud announcement. "Can we go visit Aniki now?"

Aki's plate was completely empty of content as per their agreement, unlike his and Naruto's plates. Their plates were still half full, but he found he wasn't hungry anymore, and by the way Naruto responded by saying, "Yup! It's time to go see Kyosuke!" he wasn't going to finish his meal either. He wasn't too pleased by that, since Naruto needed his strength, but he didn't say anything as Naruto stood with Aki and adjusted him in his arms.

He grabbed their plates and went to place them with the other dirty dishes before following Naruto out of the cafeteria. Instinctively, he placed his hand on the blond's lower back as they made their way to the medical facility. Upon entering, he noticed there were quite a few people there. His body tensed when almost every eye focused on them and the room quieted down significantly.

Sakura came from around a bed further down the line and approached them with a bright smile even though she looked tired. His eyes narrowed at her when he noticed her smile was mainly directed at Naruto, while his fingers lightly gripped the back of the blond's shirt once she stood in front of them.

"Morning Naruto, Sasuke!" she greeted, "Are you here to see Kyosuke-kun?"

There were a few audible gasps and several obvious mouths falling open at the familiar way she addressed them. He would have rolled his eyes if her presence wasn't already irritating him.

Naruto smiled right back at her, which had him wanting to straggle her. "Sure are, Sakura! This little guy –" Indicating Aki with his face burrowed in Naruto's shoulder. "– has been pestering us since he woke up this morning to see his brother. Has there been any changes?"

Her face faltered at the question. "I'm unsure. . . I don't handle his care."

_Thank god. . ._ was his immediate thought. He held little trust in her with their pasts colored in hatred and betrayal toward each other. He doubted his feelings would change toward her any time soon, because his forgiveness didn't stretch that far.

"Although Ruri-san is down in the restricted section checking on Kyoko-san right now." she continued with a respect she hadn't shown before. It was a little amusing how her attitude has changed since the last time she was around Akuma. "You can check with her."

"Thanks, Sakura." Naruto said, then discreetly nudged him in his side. There was no way in hell he was going to say 'thanks' to her. Instead, he grunted a response without even looking at her before urging them toward the entrance to the restricted section of the medical facility. "Still holding a grudge?" Naruto asked once they were out of earshot of Sakura.

"You forgive too easily." he said.

"I never said I forgave her, but she is trying."

He rolled his eyes at that. He couldn't care less that she was trying on anything. He didn't like her and probably never would.

"Hold on a second, Sasuke." Naruto said when they were about to pass the bed that held Royama Kaito. The man was awake with a large amount of his body in bandages. Naruto stepped closer to the end of Kaito's bed, which caused Sasuke's paranoia to keep a closer eye on the man who was within striking distance of his lover and child. "Hi!" Naruto greeted with his usual disarming smile. "Do you know who I am?"

"Tatsuo-taichou." Kaito answered diligently even in his condition.

Naruto's smile faltered at being addressed by his Akuma title, only confirming his suspicions about the blond. "Yeah. . . anyway, I wanted to thank you for what you tried to do to protect our son."

He glanced at Naruto, unsure what went on at the Compound, then back at Kaito who looked down right startled by the blond's gratitude. "Tha-Tha-That's not necessary Taichou. I only did what any other Akuma member would've done."

"You're wrong." Naruto said, "Not everyone would've almost died to protect someone else's child."

Kaito's face colored as his eyes lowered to stare at the bed coverings. So this man helped protect Aki. Someone who held no connection to them other than the fact they were all in Akuma. Still, he tried to protect Aki – that was enough to allow a little respect.

"Thank you." Naruto continued through Kaito's obvious embarrassment, actually only making it worse, then headed to the door of the restricted section. Sasuke followed the blond after he gave Kaito a nod of acknowledgment.

Once they past the entrance they had to descend down a set of stairs that led to an open area similar to what they just passed through. There were only two beds occupied among the beds lining both sides of the walls. One had Gaara sitting with his back to them and appearing to be there against his will by the way Neji stood by his side with his hand firmly on his shoulder, keeping him seated, and Ruri performing an examination in front of him. The other bed held Kyoko with Miki sitting in a chair by her side and her three children laying in bed with her.

"Naru-chan, Sasu-chan!" Kyoko greeted with her arm waving enthusiastically in the air.

Her loud greeting brought the attention of Ruri, Gaara, and Neji to them. He caught the brief glance that Ruri and Miki both shared, a glance filled with anxiety, guilt, and shame. The emotions were far brighter in Miki's than they were in Ruri's, probably because she was a lot better at hiding them. With Naruto opening his eyes to it, he was now a little more than curious as to what they were hiding. What could have happened on that mission?

Naruto smiled and approached them. "Morning Kyoko-chan! Are you feeling better?"

He kept close to Naruto while keeping everyone else in his sight. He never held too much trust in the others, just enough to know they wouldn't stab them in the back. He wasn't so sure of that anymore. The only one from the original Akuma he felt quite positive would never betray Naruto was Gaara. The red-head was far too loyal to Naruto to even consider it.

"I'm feeling much better." Kyoko answered, then her eyes narrowed and glared at Miki when she continued. "That's why I can go to the meeting this morning."

"Oh my god, Kyoko!" Miki yelled in exasperation while grabbing his head. Apparently this conversation had been going on before they got there. "You don't need to be up! You need to rest! Right Ruri?!"

"You do need to be resting." Ruri agreed, which had Kyoko scowling at her. "But I also don't see the problem in her attending the meeting either. It's not like she'll be expending too much energy." Kyoko's scowl turned into an 'I told you so' smile toward her husband.

Miki threw his hands up in the air. "Fine! Don't know why I thought you'd listen to me anyway."

"When have I ever?" Kyoko muttered out.

Naruto chuckled, drawing their attention back to them. "I always thought you two would be fighting until your old age. It's good to see you guys haven't changed much."

"How are you doing, Naru-chan?" Kyoko asked in worry, completely changing the subject. "Are you tired? You're not feeling sick, are you? Maybe Ruri-chan should check you out."

"Whoah Kyoko-chan, slow down there." Naruto said with a one handed placating wave. "I'm fine."

Sasuke snorted and Kyoko latched onto it like a rabid animal. "What was that? Obviously Sasu-chan doesn't think you're alright. Oh god. . . you're gonna be alright, aren't you Naru-chan?" She appeared to be close to tears at that point.

"I'm gonna be fine, Kyoko-chan. Teme here –" Naruto gave him a dirty look and he raised a brow in return, like he had no idea what he was getting at. "– is blowing things out of proportion."

_Blowing things out of proportion?_ Naruto only had half of his and half of Kyuubi's chakra. He was vulnerable in a way he wasn't use to. Naruto has always been reckless with his chakra. He didn't know how to be careful with how he used his chakra, because he never had to be. But all it took was one wrong move. . . just one and he would lose him all over again. So if he was _blowing things out of proportion_ as Naruto said, then he'll do so if it meant keeping his lover safe. He wouldn't lose Naruto again. . . he couldn't.

"And what about how you were brought back to life?" Neji spoke to Naruto for the first time that Sasuke knew of. There was nothing that indicated the Hyuuga's mood as he stood there and faced Naruto.

"That's gonna be explained at this mornings meeting." Naruto said that had Neji giving a curt nod before averting his gaze elsewhere.

"See!" Kyoko exclaimed, smacking Miki's shoulder. "And you wanted me to stay in bed."

"It's not like I couldn't have told you afterward." Miki murmured while rubbing his abused shoulder.

Gaara shoved Neji's hand off his shoulder with a scowl of disgust and stood from the bed. "Then I'll see you there, since I doubt you came down here to see us." He headed toward the exit, and Neji tried to follow him. Tried being the keyword there. He almost ended up face-first on the floor if he hadn't caught himself on the bed railing.

Sasuke smirked and Naruto laughed outright at the sight of Gaara's sand wrapped around the brunette's ankles, keeping him securely in place. Neji stood straight and glared at the stairs that Gaara disappeared up on.

Ruri approached them, her head shaking at Neji's predicament. "I believe Gaara-san's right; you two didn't come down here to visit us."

"Kyosuke." Sasuke said.

She nodded, not even looking him in the eye before heading to the sealed door that lead to the holding cells. He waited for Naruto to follow her first. "Enjoy your time there Neji!" Naruto announced to the fuming brunette as he turned and raised his arm that wasn't holding Aki to wave goodbye. "See ya later, Kyoko-chan, Miki!"

"We'll see you at the meeting!" Kyoko hollowed as they entered the area for the holding cells.

It was a single hallway with holding cells lining both sides. Halfway down Jun was sitting with his back leaning against one side of the hallway while Yuuto sat opposite him. Jun didn't move a muscle upon their entering, but Yuuto did by turning his head toward them.

"Kyosuke-kun's and Cho-chan's conditions haven't changed." Ruri said once the door was closed behind them, her voice echoing in the confined space. "I'm afraid if we don't see some improvement by the end of the week that. . . there might not ever be any."

That same dread that's been floating around in his stomach thickened and felt like lead at the news. He didn't know what he was hoping for this morning, but a little bit of good news about his oldest son would have been nice. This is what he got for learning to hope again, it only brought disappointment.

Aki began to wiggle in Naruto's arms and the blond put him down, looking as devastated as he felt. He grabbed Naruto's hand and gave it a firm squeeze, resulting in his dobe turning to him and giving him a small smile. Aki ran ahead of them until he stopped in front of a holding cell he assumed held Kyosuke in it. Two holding cells away from where Jun was sitting with his head in his bandaged hands, uncaring of their presences.

Aki pressed himself against the glass separating him from Kyosuke. "Can I go in?" he asked.

"Not yet." he said, stepping into view of the inside of the holding cell for the first time. Kyosuke was strapped down to the bed bolted to the far wall like some criminal. Now he understood why Naruto couldn't stand to see him like this. The sight made him sick. Kyosuke was such a energetic and lively boy, and seeing him in this manner was a constant reminder that he might never be that again.

"When can I?" Aki asked without taking his eyes off Kyosuke.

"When your brother's better." Naruto said, running his hand through Aki's hair to soothe the upsetting child.

"But I want to go in now." Aki whined.

It was Ruri who bent down to Aki and said in a gentle voice, "Sweetie, it could be dangerous if you go in there. If Kyosuke-kun woke up, he might hurt you."

Aki turned to her, his eyes narrowed in a glare and blazing with his Sharingan while the tomoes spun furiously. This was the second time his Sharingan wasn't activated because of fear. "Aniki would never hurt me. So shut your mouth and stop saying lies about him."

"Aki!" Naruto reprimanded, but Sasuke could only smirk, finding amusement in the situation. Here was a three-year-old putting a twenty-nine-year-old woman in her place. Aki may act like an Uzumaki most of the time, but he was an Uchiha too – which people tended to forget. One day their remember and not step between an Uchiha and their Abikaasa.

The fierce features of Aki's disappeared the second he turned his attention to Naruto, the tomoes slowing to a stop. "But Chichiue. . . she's saying mean things about Aniki."

There was no way Naruto could say anything against that look Aki was giving him. How could he? Aki inherited it directly from the blond. Instead Naruto faced Ruri and said, "He's very protective of his brother." Which sounded really lame, since it was usually Kyosuke who was protective of Aki.

"It's fine, Taichou." she said as she stood up. "I think it'll be best if I leave though. I doubt he'll be happy with me around anymore."

Actually Ruri ruined her chance for Aki to ever like her again.

Ruri left then and Aki turned back to stare into the holding cell, leaving Naruto and him in an awkward atmosphere with Jun and Yuuto.

"How are you doing, Jun?" Naruto braved to ask.

There was no reply, and it seemed like Jun didn't even hear him. Naruto must have silently asked Yuuto the same question with just a look, because the next moment Yuuto was shaking his head and appearing more worn down than he did before.

Jun had withdrawn within himself. It was obvious, because he had done it himself. He knew exactly how Jun was feeling; he lost a child and he lost the love of his life. He knew what it was like to have his world collapse around him. It was so much easier to hide than to face the reality that was willing to take everything from you. But unlike him, Jun wouldn't have two other children to anchor him to life.

Nothing else was said as Naruto and him settled themselves against the same wall as Yuuto and kept watch over Aki. It was an hour later that Ruri returned and said, "Itachi-san is wishing for the meeting to begin."

Naruto rolled his eyes at him in exasperation and said, "Tell him we'll begin in thirty minutes." The blond may be avoiding his role as Tatsuo, but it was clear he didn't like Itachi ordering him around. That fact was proven by what he murmured next, "Impatient ass, like I'm gonna come running when he calls."

"But you'll come running if I called, right?" Sasuke said with a smirk.

Naruto's lips pulsed before grinning and leaning seductively closer. "Depends on what you were offering."

His smirk widened as he closed the distance between them and kissed his dobe lovingly. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to fill him to the brim with warmth. God, he loved him. He gave Naruto one more peck before getting up and then helping him to his feet.

"Come on Aki," he began, "it's time to leave."

Aki shook his head. "I wanna stay here."

Naruto bent down in front of him and tried to assure him. "Don't worry honey, we can come back right after the meeting."

Again, Aki shook his head. "I don't wanna leave." On the verge of tears.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Yuuto standing. The man walked towards them and offered, "I can watch him." They looked at him, and there must have been something on both of their faces, because he continued, "At least until you get back."

Naruto straightened himself up from his bent position and glanced over at him. They communicated silently until they both looked back at Yuuto and Naruto asked, "Are you sure?" Being just as nervous as him about leaving Aki there without either one of them present.

Yuuto nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure. It's not like I haven't watched Kyosuke before."

He had a point there. But back then, he wasn't as paranoid as he was now. Losing Naruto had changed him from the man he use to be.

"Alright." he conceited, although reluctantly.

After another six minutes of goodbyes they were off to the meeting place, which they were assuming was being held in Itachi's new office. The restricted section's medical area was empty as they past through and climbed the stairs back to the main medical area, where it was as full as when they past through it earlier.

It took twice as long to get to Itachi's office with the way Naruto purposely slowed his steps down. He matched the pace with a smirk of amusement. Naruto could be spiteful in his own way.

When they entered Itachi's office, Sasuke saw the room filled with Akuma Veterans and Konoha shinobi. All conversations stopped and stared at them as they situated themselves against the wall opposite of Itachi sitting calmly behind a large wooden desk. His elbows were resting on the surface while his fingers were intertwined before his face. He held a cool, calculating expression that was aimed directly at them.

For a long moment no one spoke, then Itachi lowered his arms and said, "I believe we all know why we're gathered here. Would you like to begin, Naruto."

Straight to the point. . .

With a sigh Naruto began the tale on how he made Aki the new Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi; not only sealing the Fox, but himself also. He explains the reasoning behind his actions; for Ouroboros to take his body and believe it still held Kyuubi so they would keep away from Aki.

"You made sure the tracking wouldn't work." Itachi said, tone dark. "The plan we had was nothing but a ruse to the one you already had planned yourself."

"Yup!" Naruto confirmed, smile wide and unapologetic. "I had to make sure they got my body without a fight. And it helped a lot that you practically handed it to them on a silver platter."

By the glare that Itachi was giving Naruto, his brother didn't like to be played one bit. For once someone else used Itachi's loyalty against him. And not just anyone, but Naruto, who he would've never suspected to do so. That's probably what stung the most. . . Itachi never once realized he had been fooled until now.

Naruto continued on how he made it possible for Ouroboros to not figure out that Kyuubi wasn't still sealed in his body and instead sealed in Aki's. By using Fuuinjutsu to split Kyuubi's and his chakra in half. That got an uproar out of everyone. Itachi settled them down in order to get the rest of the story out of the blond, but he swore he would be back to the topic once he finished.

He went on to explain how he was resurrected. The risk he took in extracting himself from Aki in order to protect him from Ouroboros.

"That had to have taken months of planning." Shikamaru said once Naruto was done. "Not to mention the knowledge you had to have in order for it to be successful. I was impressed with you before Naruto, but now. . . you brought yourself back from the dead. . . that's. . . "

"Fucking awesome." Kiba finished for the genius.

Naruto grinned sheepishly, "I don't think I'll be able to pull off a second performance. I got damn lucky this time."

Damn straight there won't be a second performance. Naruto wasn't going anywhere if he could help it. Just the thought of going back to a life without his dobe was physically nauseating. He would do everything in his power to keep Naruto with him. Even if that meant turning his back on everyone else in this room.

"I want to know more about the splitting of your chakra." Itachi stated, fully expecting an answer.

Naruto's lips slowly formed into a sweetly-sweet smile that barely disguised his ill intentions. "Actually, I have my own question to ask. See. . . when I was dead I was able to go anywhere and basically be nosy. There were exceptions though. . . like the building you, Ruri-chan, and Miki investigated and the building that Kyosuke and Cho were being held. So. . . I'm a little curious; what happened in the one you three investigated?"

Miki's complexion paled considerably the second Naruto mentioned the mission the three had been on. His eyes stayed glued to the floor and jaw clenched tight shut. And with a quick and unnoticeable activation of his Sharingan he saw the man was trembling from head to toe. Ruri was more composed with only a pale complexion and averted blank eyes.

Itachi, on the other hand, was far too good to let anything pass his defenses. "Just a scrape with a low-level member of Ouroboros."

The smile Naruto wore fell in an instant. "You're lying."

"I don't see –"

"A little girl. . ." Sasuke spoke up just to see if any of them would react. And by the way two sets of eyes snapped to him in blind panic he knew it wasn't all in his head. But it was Itachi's split second alarm that had him truly worried on who she really was. "There was a little girl."

Silence settled in the room heavily, only being broken when the door was abruptly opened and a medic-nin came rushing in. "I apologize for interrupting, but Kyosuke-kun's awake."


	15. Collide

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Fifteen

**Collide**

Awake? Hadn't Ruri just said an hour ago that there were no changes? But as Naruto looked over at Ruri and saw the perplexity in her expression he knew she was just as shocked as he was. She was the first out of the office, closely followed by Sasuke, Itachi, and himself. The others were behind them, but he paid little mind to them as they made their way to the restricted section of the medical facility.

The patients all stared as their parade past into the restricted section. Once they reached the holding cells entrance only Ruri, Itachi, Sasuke, and himself entered.

"I only turned my back on him for one second!" He heard Yuuto's voice before he came into view, visibly upset. "I swear it was only one second."

Sasuke grabbed the front of Yuuto's shirt and slammed him against an empty holding cell. There was a loud crack, but it was drowned out by the raven's snarl, "Where's Aki?" His Sharingan activated and glaring at the young man.

Fear gripped Naruto like a vice when he looked around and didn't see Aki anywhere in the hall. He turned to Yuuto in Sasuke's hold, clearly scared, and began to say, "Yuuto. . ." but was interrupted by Ruri gasping at the front of Kyosuke's holding cell.

"H-How?" she stuttered.

Naruto went to the front of the holding cell with Sasuke right behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Aki sitting next to a conscious Kyosuke. That relief soon turned into bewilderment, wondering how Aki even got into the holding cell when only a Veteran's chakra pushed into a sigil far higher than his three-year-old height could open. And not only did he get in, but he also unshackled his brother, which held the same restrictions as the cell door.

"How did he get in there?" he asked while turning to Yuuto for the answer.

Yuuto's head was already shaking before he spoke, "I don't know. I just turned my back for a second to try to get Jun to eat something, and when I turned back around he was gone. I found him in the cell beside Kyosuke, who was already awake, and he was unshackling him. I have no idea how he got in."

"Is it possible that he transported himself in? Like how I did to find Naruto." Sasuke said.

"It's completely plausible." Itachi said next to Ruri, their previous conversation being placed to the side for the time being. "Actually it's the only explanation there is."

"He's young though." he said, for some reason even more worried about their connection with the intense displays of their bond. "Was Sasuke able to do that at his age?"

"He never had to. He had easy access to you whenever he wanted it."

Aki looked up and finally noticed their presences. He smiled and tugged on Kyosuke's pants to get his attention from where he was staring at the top of Aki's head, then blatantly pointed his finger at them. "See, Aniki! I told you! Chichiue came back from Heaven to be with us! He missed us!"

Kyosuke's eyes moved to them in an almost lazy manner, his features lacking any emotion until his eyes landed right on him. Then they widened and fear flooded his face. In an instant he had pushed Aki behind him and positioned himself protectively in front him. He snarled threateningly at him, gold circling his iris that clearly showed how close the animal was to the surface. If it wasn't for the chakra suppressants painted on his arms and torso, then there would be a big problem.

"That's not a good sign. . ." Ruri said, turning and staring at him in confusion. Probably wondering what he had done to ignite such a reaction out of him.

The snarling grew in strength, his back hunching and his elongating claws digging into the edge of the bed. That's when he felt it, the chakra of Hachibi bubbling violently beneath the surface. So violently that it began to burn the chakra suppressants right off Kyosuke's skin at a rapid pace.

"Uh oh. . ." he said while taking a step back as the normally brown eyes were drowned out by molten gold. Then he remembered why Kyosuke might have this sort of reaction from seeing him. "Did I forget to mention who Ouroboros sent with the team that apprehended Kyosuke and Cho-chan?"

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sasuke's head snapped to him. "Yes! You did forget to mention that!"

The glass door of the holding cell suddenly shattered outward from a blast of chakra. Sasuke shielded him with his body before the glass could reach him, the force sending them both crashing through the glass of the holding cell behind them. The broken glass bit into his back as they slid across the floor to a stop against the far wall.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke groaned out while pushing himself up with his arms.

"Am I alright?" he nearly shouted at the raven for the stupid move he just did. "You're the one who took the brunt of the hit."

"I'm fine." Sasuke assured even when he could see a piece of glass imbedded in his shoulder. "It's superficial." he went on, like he knew he had seen the injury. And just to prove his statement he grabbed the glass and yanked it out of his shoulder.

The sound of cracking glass had them both facing to where Kyosuke was stepping out of his holding cell on all fours. He stopped once he was out of the cell, snarling at all sides where they've been scattered to. The stance he held in front of the cell, which still contained Aki, suggested only one thing. . .

"He's protecting Aki." It made sense. With his body being part of Kyosuke's and Cho's previous detainment, Kyosuke now thought he was the same threat. What else was his son suppose to think? That he recently came back from the dead? Not a chance. Kyosuke was only following his instincts and protecting what his animal considered his.

Sasuke's eyes bled red into his Sharingan as he faced Kyosuke. "Stay out of this fight, Naruto."

"What?! You can't –"

"If you haven't noticed, you're his target." No shit. He thought the blast of chakra aimed directly at him made that obvious enough. "You're not at your strongest, it'll be suicidal. So I'm telling you to stay out of this."

_He's telling me?_ Naruto snorted, and shoved Sasuke's shoulder to stand by his side, where he always thought he belonged. "And you think I'll actually listen to you. When has that ever happened?" He wasn't the type to hide from a fight no matter what the circumstances were, he was that stubborn. Sasuke should know that. And with the glare he was receiving from the raven, he did. A sly smile is what he received in return. "Besides, all you have to do is watch my back. You and I both know how much you like to do that." The glare only intensified at that comment.

There was no more time for their bickering as Kyosuke sent another chakra blast at them. They threw themselves in separate directions; Sasuke busted through one wall using his Raiton while he went through the other with his Fuuton. He looked back through the holes at Sasuke, who did the same to him, before breaking through the glass of the cell he was in with a single punch.

He stood on the side with Yuuto, closest to the exit, and Sasuke was on the other side with Itachi, Ruri, and Jun.

Kyosuke immediately turned to his direction, but before he could even take a step forward Sasuke had wire wrapping around his body and tugging him back. Kyosuke's focus never left him as he used his chakra tail to snap the wire like string. That's when Kyosuke came at him, and he barely had time to dodge before the place he previously stood was a three-foot crater. He landed on the side wall, then jumped again from a lash of chakra extended from his son's arm.

He was prepared to dodge again, but a white-hot line of fire erupted between him and Kyosuke. He had to take a step back from the intensity of it, and squint to see all four of Sasuke, Itachi, Ruri, and Jun try to subdue Kyosuke.

"I honestly think I'm out of my league here." came Yuuto's voice to his right.

His head turned to the other, he had completely forgotten about Yuuto with him being busy trying to avoid potentially painful attacks. There were various marks marring his face and arms that showed Yuuto wasn't fully unharmed from the previous attacks. "Just stay out of the way." he said while facing forward again. "This could get real ugly."

There was no way – without serious repercussions – to use Fuuton infused chakra in a hallway full of flames. Instead, he planned on using another approach that he knew Sasuke would chew him out for later. Because the method took chakra. Unfortunately, he did have to be careful. Sasuke did have a point that he couldn't be as reckless with his chakra as he normally would have. Not to mention he was still recovering from being resurrected. Yet even with all that in mind, if it came right down to it, he would use every ounce of chakra he had to get his son back.

He formed a series of hand-seals, each one causing a symbol to etch in the air in front of him until there were five symbols in a circle. On the final one, lines of writing connected them, creating a plate-sized sigil. He slammed his palm in the middle of sigil and instantly chains burst forth from the other side, wrapping around and securing Kyosuke in place. Unlike the shinobi wire Sasuke used earlier, these chains were infused with his and Kyuubi's chakra to reinforce them. But it was taxing. He could already feel himself struggle to keep the Fuuinjutsu active as Kyosuke struggled against the bindings.

The door behind him he heard open with a force just as Kyosuke created a compacted ball of chakra. _Oh shit. . ._ He swirled around and yelled, "Move!"

His hands morphed into another set of seals, causing the chains to retract from Kyosuke and back into the sigil. The sigil's symbols changed then and expanded outward to cover the entire width and height of the hallway. Once the chakra ball was set loose it collided with the sigil with a force that had Naruto gritting his teeth to keep the barrier from falling immediately upon impact. Still, he could only hold it for another four seconds before it shattered like glass, allowing the chakra ball to pass through.

He brought his arms up in a futile attempt of protection as the compacted chakra hit him fully. Vaguely, he heard his name being yelled. He was sent soaring through the air and landing in a painful heap in the main area of the restricted section. It could have been worse. . . he thought as black spots danced across his vision.

If he had taken the fully-powered chakra ball without those seconds to lesson its intensity, then he would be in far worse condition than he currently was in. At least he was alive, even though he had very little chakra left and could barely move without extreme pain racking through his body.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the others position themselves defensively around the entrance to the holding cells. A growl rumbled in his throat at any of them trying to subdue his son. The Konoha shinobi might not know to hold themselves back so not to hurt Kyosuke too badly. "Touch him and I will kill you." he threatened, feeling Kyuubi's chakra working on his injuries. It wouldn't be in time though, he already knew. They were too severe for the half of Kyuubi's chakra to heal as quickly as they use to.

Many stares were directed at him for his insanity, but they all moved away from the entrance to the holding cells. The next second Kyosuke was there before him with his arm drawn back in preparation to punch him into a crater. He felt Kyuubi's chakra abandon his injuries and gather at his navel. He knew it was Kyuubi's last ditch effort to protect him from the oncoming attack he couldn't defend himself from.

His breath caught in his lungs when Aki ran up and got between them with his arms wide open. "Stop hurting Chichiue, Aniki!"

Ignoring the pain, he forced his body to move as he saw Kyosuke's fist come closer to Aki with every second it took to move. He wouldn't get there in time. "Kyosuke, no!"

Sasuke was suddenly behind Kyosuke and gripped his arm without care of the chakra burns he would suffer from later. But nothing happened. It seemed that Kyosuke had stopped just two inches from Aki's face. There was a long moment of indecision before the chakra of Hachibi began to recede back into Kyosuke's body. The teen slumped to his knees once all the chakra was completely contained.

Aki didn't hesitate in closing the small distance between them and hugging his brother. It was a slow process, but Kyosuke's arm lifted and hugged Aki back.

The threat was over. . . with that thought in mind Naruto collapsed to the ground and allowed the darkness to drag him into unconsciousness.

Sasuke watched him fall, and he felt his heart lodged in his throat at the sight. Then panic set in. He rushed to Naruto's side and felt for a pulse. When he found a steady one he rested his head against the blond's chest in relief and allowed himself to breath. Why didn't Naruto listen to him?

Who was he kidding, he knew why. The damn blond's stubbornness.

Naruto would never stand to the side while others fought. Especially when those others were fighting for someone he loved. He knew all this, yet he was still furious that Naruto wouldn't stay out of the fight. And the result was his dobe getting hurt to the point where he feared – down right terrified – that he had lost Naruto again so easily. So terrified that for a split-second he contemplated on seriously hurting his son to get him to stop before he killed Naruto.

"Sasuke-san. . ." his name being said snapped him out of his daze and saw Ruri kneel on the other side of Naruto. His muscles tensed at the close proximity she was to his injured blond, but then calmed himself at the knowledge she would be able to heal his wounds. Still, the suspicions hovering over Ruri, Miki, and Itachi didn't dwell well with him. "I need to heal him." Her polite way in saying he had to give her some space without him becoming territorial and lashing back at her for the audacity.

He scooted himself back on his knees only a step away from Naruto, but he had no intention of going any further. She must have known this, because she began the examination. Next to him, Sakura knelt and appeared like she was going to help Ruri. He didn't think so. He grabbed her wrist before she could even get her glowing hands over his blond and said, "Not her."

Sakura looked insulted. She opened her mouth to say something, but he silenced her by squeezing her wrist to the point of almost breaking it. She gasped, and he let her go with a small shove.

"Is Chichiue going to be alright?" came the small voice of Aki.

He turned towards his sons; Aki still in the arms of his brother while Kyosuke stared intently at Naruto. He was uneasy with that stare, hoping it wouldn't trigger another episode. "Chichiue should be just fine." God, let Naruto be fine.

"You should listen to your Tou-san." Ruri began with a soft smile to them. "He knows your Chichiue best of all. So he already knows that your Chichiue is healing quite well and should be up and about by tomorrow."

The suffocating pressure in his chest lessened considerably, and he breathed out a sigh of relief. Never. . . He was never going to be able to stand seeing Naruto hurt like before when they were younger. Not without becoming terrified that Naruto would be taken away from him, sending him spiraling back down into the excruciating darkness.

It was obvious that Aki heard Ruri's words, but clearly ignored her and gave him a bright smile. He damn near snorted at his son's blatant display of Uchiha genetics, the act helping him rise above his somber thoughts. If Ruri thought being nice to Aki would change their previous encounter, then she was wrong. That would stay with him, even if he ever forgot her he would still feel defensive around her.

Ruri stood and began to approach the brothers. A low growl came from Kyosuke when she got two feet from them that had her stopping. Nothing else changed in Kyosuke's features nor did his gaze stray any from Naruto.

"It would be unwise to get any closer to him, Ruri-san." Itachi said from where he's been standing just a few feet behind Kyosuke.

"The chakra suppressants need to be placed back on." Ruri said with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Yeah. . ." Miki chimed in, "because those worked out _great_ the first time."

Ruri bravely took another step, and the growls rose in volume. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her back and said, "Back off." as he gently picked up Naruto in his arms.

"But. . ." she tried to argue.

"I said, back off." he snapped, not caring about the malicious intent he directed at her. He just wanted to make sure she didn't start another episode that would cause more harm to his dobe. He went to one of the remaining upright beds when she stepped away from his sons and placed Naruto on it. After running his hand through those silky, blond locks he faced his sons again to see that Kyosuke has yet to take his eyes off of Naruto even through the move.

"At least let me look at your injuries, Sasuke-san." she said, which he completely ignored. Since physical pain he could deal with just fine.

Without an ounce of fear, he crossed the room and crouched down only inches from Kyosuke and Aki, blocking his oldest's view of Naruto. Those eyes instead locked onto him with their blank detachment. There was no growling from his close proximity. Not even when he grabbed Aki from his arms and picked him up into his own. He stood again then and said to his oldest, "Come on, Kyosuke."

"He does need to stay in a holding cell." Ruri said, like what he did with his son was any of her business.

He glared at her for opening her mouth about something so obvious. He wasn't stupid. Kyosuke was still a danger, he knew that. Softening his gaze, he looked back down at his son, who hadn't moved at all. "Kyosuke." Having a particular tone that Kyosuke should be all too familiar with.

That's all it took to have Kyosuke stand and he led him through the hole that use to be the entrance to the holding cells. Jun and Yuuto were still in the partly destroyed hallway, loitering in front of Cho's holding cell. He past them without acknowledging the two and went to one of the end holding cells. He placed Aki down before opening the cell door and leaving it open as he led them into the small room.

Kyosuke sat on the bed similar to as he had been in his other cell and Aki sat next to him. Sasuke sat on the other side of Kyosuke and stared at him, wondering if the injection Ouroboros gave him had some sort of affect on his son with how emotionless he's been since waking. What if they damaged him irrevocably?

"Chichiue's dead." Kyosuke said bluntly after a long moment of silence, his features still holding no signs of emotion.

"Nah ah. . ." Aki said with a pout. "Chichiue came back from heaven. I keep telling you. Why won't you believe me?"

"Chichiue's dead." Kyosuke repeated, which had Aki's lip quivering and on the verge of tears. "Chichiue would never hurt us."

There was a flash of pain that flooded Kyosuke's face before it disappeared again. He had a feeling that Kyosuke was thinking of Naruto's old body capturing him and Cho for Ouroboros. His son didn't understand that the body who captured him wasn't the same as the one who was currently lying unconscious in the restricted section's main area.

"Kyosuke, look at me." he said, and wasn't surprised when he didn't comply. "Look at me." The second time had Kyosuke meeting his gaze. "The situation is complicated, but I can assure you that the body that took you to Ouroboros is not the same as the man lying out there. He's your Chichiue."

Silenced followed with no outward affect on Kyosuke as he looked away and down at his lap. Then he asked in a tentative voice, "Chichiue's alive?"

"That's what I've been telling you, Aniki." Aki announced, exasperated.

Kyosuke's hands balled into fists, gripping the fabric of his pants tight enough to have his knuckles turn white. "I tried to kill Chichiue." His voice cracked and within seconds Kyosuke's emotionless exterior crumbled into painful sobs.

"Aniki. . ." whimpered Aki while tears fell down his cheeks. He leaned close to Kyosuke and hugged his brother's arm. "Don't cry, Aniki."

It was heartbreaking seeing his twelve-year-old son breakdown before him. Kyosuke shouldn't have to go through this. He shouldn't have to deal with the consequences of Ouroboros' actions. All these years he's tried to protect them both from Ouroboros, but like many other instances in his life. . . he failed.

He pulled Kyosuke to his chest and his son clung to him with his free arm as he cried. "Chi-Chichiue's gon-gonna h-hate me." his voice muffled by his shirt.

"Don't be ridiculous." he almost snapped, but stopped before his tone changed from being comforting. "Your Chichiue loves you. He'll always love you. No matter what."

"B-But I-I –"

"No." he said sternly. "No matter what he'll always love you."

They stayed that way until both Kyosuke and Aki fell asleep, then Sasuke carefully extracted himself and positioned the two more comfortably without waking them. When he left the cell, he left the door open.

"How is he?" Yuuto asked upon stepping into the hall. He was sitting next to Jun near Cho's holding cell. Jun stared at him also, making it clear he wanted to know Kyosuke's condition just as badly as Yuuto did. Partly he might be interested in Kyosuke's health, the other part though he probably wants to know how Cho will be like once she wakes up.

"He'll be alright." was all he said as he past them and entered the considerably cleaner main area. There was no longer any chucks of stone or debris laying around and all the beds were upright and positioned correctly. The only thing that showed there was ever a battle was the still missing door to the holding cells.

No one else was in the main area as he made his way over to where Naruto lay. He grabbed a chair along the way and placed it next to Naruto's bed. He didn't sit right away, merely stared at his sleeping lover. How many times has he done this before? Way too many times to count. The familiarity left him a little queasy, because he never wanted to repeat those years of anxiety and uncertainty again.

He disregarded the chair altogether and climbed into the bed as carefully as he could. He gently laid his head on Naruto's chest, right over his heart, and listened to the steady beat drumming in his ear. It was to assure him that Naruto was still alive. The same thing he did when the blond was sick. He closed his eyes, letting the rhythm lure him into a sound sleep.

* * *

><p>For hours Miki had waited anxiously for his wife and children to fall asleep in their own private room. He brought them there because he didn't feel comfortable having them so near to someone who could so easily become a danger to his family. There was a little guilt about having the his doubts, since he's known Kyosuke since the boy was a toddler, but he had to think of his own family's safety. Although that protective instinct he had only made him feel even more shame and self loathing for what the atrocity he almost committed on Sasuke's and Naruto's family.<p>

Quietly, he left the room and went in search of Ruri. With the hour being late at night, the halls were mainly empty besides that night's guard duty. It wasn't hard to find Ruri, since most of the time she was in the medical facility. She was in one of the many offices, gazing into a microscope. He didn't try to hide his presence at all as he entered the office without so much as a knock and said, "I hope you have some plan in that pretty head of yours, because from where I'm standing it's starting to look like we're screwed."

She slowly moved away from the microscope and cocked her head around to look at him. "There is no plan." she said simply before she turned back around and went back to looking into her microscope like that was the end of it.

Oh hell no!

"No plan?" Confused and growing panicked. "What do you mean there's no plan? There has to be a fucking plan!" No plan meant he was going to lose _everything_. "They know we're hiding something! Fuck! They know about her!"

With a sigh, she faced him again. "They don't know anything about her." Her eyes turned distanced when she continued, "Not yet anyway. . ."

"So that's it? We're just going to sit by and let everything fall apart."

There was resignation so clear in her eyes as she looked at him. "Yes. . . That was decided the moment Taichou came back to life. Taichou and Sasuke-san may not know everything yet, but they will. All we're doing is biding our time until they do."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He put his whole life on the line for Itachi and now the woman who would stand by that man's side through anything wouldn't come up with some idea to save it. He had no right to feel the betrayal blooming in his chest, not after he betrayed his best friend. His eyes stung as he sighed out some of the fear that was slowly spreading through his system. So this was how it all was going to end?

"It's so easy for you to say that." he finally said with a bit of resentment. "You have nothing to lose."

Anger sparked, covering that resignation that if he was any less of a man he would gladly punch right off her face. "You don't think losing Taichou's trust and respect is not something to lose?"

"It's not the same as losing your family." He turned and planned on leaving when Ruri spoke in a small voice once he was at the door.

"I thought we were family."

He gave a hollowed chuckle at the absurdity. In their early days they had considered themselves family, but they've become far too damaged for that connection to remain. "We're no family." Because family doesn't plan to commit such a crime against one another. "Not anymore. . ." he finished while walking out the door.


	16. Fully Alive

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (But the OCs are mine!)**

Veils of Deceit

Chapter Sixteen

**Fully Alive**

The smell alone is what woke Naruto up. He could tell by the antiseptic hanging in the air where he was, causing him to groan as he forced his eyes to open. Immediately he re-closed them, unable to take the bright light that shined above him. He brought his hand up to shield his eyes the next time he opened them, and just as he suspected, he was in one of the beds in the medical facility.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the brightness, but when they did he glanced around the large area. There was no one else in sight, but he could sense several chakra signatures coming from the holding cells section. One of which he would recognize anywhere no matter the situation. It had his heart beating faster and had him yearning for the other to be closer. He got his silent wish when the chakra signature began to move towards him. Although, now that his brain was waking up more, he wondered how upset the other man was with him. _Pissed probably_. . .

And he was right – once Sasuke stepped through the made-hole he glared at him for all he was worth. Yet for a brief second before anger flooded his eyes there was an overwhelming look of relief. Sasuke stalked over to his bed as he pushed himself up into a sitting position and found that his body only ached a little.

He gave a hesitant smile. "Morning. . . It is morning, right?" Unable to tell with being underground.

"No." came the clipped tone he was expecting. "It's midday. You were unconscious since yesterday."

He noticed the clothes Sasuke wore were the same as the previous day. "Did you stay here all night?" he asked, not really surprised, but he thought Sasuke would at least shower and change. The man was a little anal about his hygiene.

The anger radiating from the raven spiked in its intensity. "My lover and children are here; where the hell else do you expect me to be?"

He winced at the bite in Sasuke's voice. He was pissed off. Far more so than their usual fights. Still, Naruto stared back at Sasuke in defiance, not willing to back down against the fiery glare directed at him. "How's Kyosuke doing?" he asked, attempting to get as much information as he could before Sasuke decided to blow up.

"How do you think he's doing?" Sasuke snapped, "He's blaming himself for hurting you."

That shocked him. "Why would he do that?"

"He almost killed you, you fucking dumbass!" Sasuke damn near yelled as he closed the small distance between them in an instant, both hands on either side of him and forcing him to lean back on his elbows. A pair of furious Sharingan is what he came face-to-face with. "His second chance at having his Chichiue back and he almost took that away. What the hell would you do, but blame yourself?"

"It's not his fault." was all he could find to say.

"No, it's not." Sasuke agreed. "It's yours. You should have stayed out of the fight like I told you."

A low growl rumbled in his chest as he shoved Sasuke away from him due to his own rising temper. "And what was I suppose to do? Just stand there and watch."

"Yes! If it kept you out of harms way, then that's what I wanted you to do."

He crossed his arms over his chest and said stubbornly, "You know that would've never happened. I can't just –"

In a lightning fast move, he was grabbed by the front of his shirt and slammed down on the bed. Sasuke loomed over him with a fury he hasn't seen in a long time. "Don't you understand that you could have died? Again!"

It was then that Naruto realized why Sasuke was so angry. He was scared of losing him again. Terrified even. Could he really fault him for that? No. . . because if he had gone through what Sasuke had, he would be driving himself crazy on ways to keep the other safe.

His own anger faded away as he lifted his hand and covered Sasuke's Sharingan adored eyes. A familiar act he's done many times before. He leaned in close and kissed along the raven's jaw until he reached his ear. "I'm sorry. . . I'll try to be more careful, but I can't promise you miracles."

A snort sounded from Sasuke as he leaned back, letting his hand fall away, and stared down at him with those beautiful onyx eyes. The anger was still there, but it seemed to have sizzled down to a low burn. "I don't expect that sort of miracle, dobe – you're too god damn stubborn for that – but. . ." A veil of desperation that he's only ever seen at the times when he was sick shadowed his face. "Don't make me. . . Don't make me endure losing you again."

Tears brimmed his eyes at the amount of fear Sasuke had to be feeling to show that sort of desperation. He lunged forward and wrapped his arms around his neck, dragging the other down with him to the bed. Sasuke melted against him, burrowing his face in the crook of his neck. He gasped at the tongue that kissed and licked his neck, sending tingles of pleasure throughout his body. That sinful mouth traveled up his neck and along his jaw until it reached his own mouth, gently pressing.

Those onyx opened and made eye contact, keeping it as he slipped his tongue out and sensually ran the appendage along his lower lip. Then he dipped his tongue into his mouth teasingly before breaking eye contact and devouring him like a starving man. He moaned at the taste flooding his system and instinctively massaged his tongue against the invading one. He didn't care about feigning an attempt for dominance, he just needed Sasuke. Needed him so badly. . .

His legs spread further apart, accommodating the man now fully on top of him and rolling his hips pleasurably into his. He moaned again, back arching, and ran his hands down Sasuke's body before running then back up his back. A hiss of pain came from Sasuke when he reached the back of his shoulders, reminding him of his wound.

"Sasuke. . ?"

"Shut up." was the raven's snap reply.

"Didn't you have Ruri-chan look at that?" he continued nonetheless, figuring Sasuke had since his hands were wrapped.

His mouth was firmly covered by a hand. "I said, 'Shut up', dobe." The hand was then replaced by a demanding mouth, robbing him of his coherent thought. He responded just as passionately, losing himself to the feel of the man above him.

A loud cough had them reluctantly separating to see who dared to interrupt them. Naruto had to crane his neck at a very odd angle to see that Yuuto was standing by the hole to the holding cells, appearing absolutely embarrassed with his reddened face. Yuuto was looking at anything but them when he said, "Aki's wondering where you're at."

Sasuke's head dropped to his shoulder with a disappointed sigh coming from him, then he was moving off of him. A low whine escaped his throat at the loss of contact as Sasuke straightened his clothes and glared directly at the fidgeting Yuuto. He would have glared too if he wasn't already mortified about getting caught in such an intimate position and trying to hide behind his hands. He was a private person when it came to his sex life unlike Sasuke who didn't mind teasing him openly.

"Come on, dobe." Sasuke said while placing his hand on his thigh. Like that was going to help the raging erection between his legs. If he had any chance of losing it, then Sasuke needed to stop touching him. That hand slid higher, which easily informed him the other was doing it on purpose. _Bastard. . ._ "The boys will be thrilled to see that you're awake."

That redirected his thoughts, ones where he'll be coming face-to-face with his eldest son since their disastrous first meeting. It had his stomach twisting in knots from the nervousness filtering through his system. That definitely helped to get rid of his erection even with Sasuke's hand still high on his thigh.

He sat up and scooted himself off the bed where Sasuke only stood inches from. The raven didn't give him any more space than necessary as their bodies pressed close together. Sasuke brought his hand up and caressed his face. "Stop worrying." he said, seemingly catching how nervous he had become. "He loves you. He just needs reassurance that you still love him too."

"There's nothing that could change that." Kyosuke was his son. Maybe not by blood, but by everything else that counted Kyosuke was his. And he hated the thought of Kyosuke believing he would not love him anymore for something he had no control over.

"That's what I told him." Sasuke said, "But he's just as stubborn as you."

He shot the raven an annoyed look. "You're stubborn too. He could've inherited it from you."

Sasuke smirked as he shook his head. "Not this pigheadedness. That's all you." The bastard's smirk only grew at his display of annoyance. Before he could retort though, his hand was grabbed and was being pulled toward the holding cells' opening.

His nerves triple as they entered the holding cell area with Yuuto trailing behind them. Jun's head lifted from his slouch position on the floor and turned to them when they entered, staring at him as they made their way down the hall. When they past, Jun gave a curt nod to him and he responded by smiling back. Even the little relief at seeing Jun respond to others didn't lesson the anxiety once they reached the end of the hall where Kyosuke's holding cell was.

Even hearing of Kyosuke's fear from Sasuke, he still couldn't help his own fear of rejection. With the way he was raised, rejection was all he'd known until he met Sasuke who had accepted him in his own way. That fear had been making itself known lately with meeting his youngest for the first time, and then ensuring Sasuke still wanted him. He hated feeling so insecure, but he never wanted the three people he loved the most to want nothing to do with him. He wouldn't be able to take it.

The door to the holding cell was wide open when they stopped in full view of the two occupants inside. He immediately noticed how Kyosuke tensed up and kept his eyes glued to the floor while Aki shouted, "Chichiue!" with a bright smile and arms spread wide open as he ran up to him.

He caught him and lifted his youngest up into his arms, smiling. "How's my littlest doing?"

Aki giggled and nestled against his shoulder. "Better." He then poked the side of his face, probably where a bruise was still visible, and asked, "Chichiue alright?"

"I'm fine." His eyes staying on Kyosuke, who has yet to raise his. "It takes a lot more than that to keep me down."

Sasuke approached them then. "Come Aki." he said while positioning his hands on Aki. "Let's give Chichiue and Kyosuke a little time to themselves." Aki didn't fight the pull of Sasuke as he was transferred from his arms to the raven's.

"We'll come back?" Aki asked.

"Of course." Sasuke said while heading down the hall toward the entrance. "We're just going to get some food for your Chichiue, I bet he's hungry. And besides, we can't really leave him alone for too long, he always seems to get himself into trouble."

The fact that his own son nodded in agreement just proved how similar he could be to his father. "You can put him in the bad-boy corner." Yup, that was all Uchiha.

He could easily hear the smirk in Sasuke's voice when he said, "Yes, I could definitely do that."

Naruto shook his head and focused back on his eldest son only feet in front of him. He hadn't moved an inch, but unlike before there was emotion in those eyes that were trying their damnedest to stay rooted to the floor. He took a step inside the holding cell, then another three that closed the distance between him and his son. He squatted down low enough where he could look under the fringe of Kyosuke's bangs.

Kyosuke took a quick glance at him before fixing his gaze back at the floor. That's all it took for him to see the pain, guilt, and fear that shadowed his young eyes, but he could also see a desperate yearning for him to be real. It broke his heart, and it only broke more when his son's lip began to quiver uncontrollably as he glanced up two more times before bursting out into tears.

He engulfed Kyosuke in his arms, pressing him against his chest where he continued to cry with his arms clinging to him like a lifeline. He stood up, bringing his son with him, and turned to sit on the bed with Kyosuke in his lap. He whispered soothing words as he rocked him back and forth like he use to when he was younger and ran his hand along his back. It took many agonizing minutes of Kyosuke sobbing into his chest before he calmed down to mere sniffles.

"Do you h-hate m-me?" came Kyosuke's voice that held so much emotion.

Pushing Kyosuke back so he could look him in the eye, he grabbed both sides of his face. "You listen to me Kyosuke, and you listen good. There is nothing in this world that would make me hate you. Nothing, you hear me Kyosuke. I love you. A few scrapes and bruises isn't going to change that." Tears had begun again to run down Kyosuke's cheeks, and he used his thumb to wipe them away. "You believe me?"

Kyosuke nodded, a watery smile gracing his features. "Chichiue loves us." He snuggled back to his chest. "Chichiue would never hurt us." Reminding Naruto that even if it was just for a few seconds his son thought him and his body were the same. It wasn't unreasonable to think that, but he never wanted Kyosuke to compare him to the body that hurt him.

"Never." he assured him, "You do understand that the body that took you to Ouroboros –" He felt a shiver run through Kyosuke's body at the mention of _them_. "You do understand that wasn't me, right?"

"Everything's a little confusing. . ." Kyosuke began lowly as he fingered with his shirt. "I don't know how you can be alive again, but I know you're my Chichiue and not that thing."

Tears of his own built in his eyes at the knowledge that his son knew the difference and didn't fear him for the crimes his other body committed. He blinked them away though at the sound of Sasuke and Aki returning.

Sasuke stopped at the entrance of the holding cell with his hands laden with two trays of food while Aki ran up to them and sat next to him, curling against his side and fiddling with the fabric of Kyosuke's pants. "See Aniki, I told you so. Chichiue came back from heaven to be with us."

Kyosuke toed him in the shoulder. "Yeah yeah, maybe you were right squirt."

That comment resulted in Aki sticking his tongue out at his brother, which in turn had Kyosuke doing the same. He was relieved to see Kyosuke was trying to push through the trauma and act like himself again. And it wasn't fake, he could tell – since he had been the poster boy of cheerful facades. He believed Kyosuke was going to be alright.

Sasuke placed the trays on the only available surface, balancing them on the edge of the small sink, then he faced them with a small smile gracing his pale features. "It appears everything's been cleared up."

Naruto smiled brightly back at his lover, feeling ten times lighter at his son's acceptance of him. "Yup!" Squeezing Kyosuke closer to him. "Everything's great."

They spent the rest of the day in the holding cell with their sons, since Kyosuke wasn't allowed to leave until the following day and Aki was refusing to leave his brother. So when it was time to leave for bedtime he wasn't surprised when Aki defiantly crawled under the blanket beside Kyosuke and attached himself to his brother's arm; puppy-eyes shining bright back at them.

He hadn't been comfortable with leaving his twelve-year-old son down there alone with only Jun and Yuuto to watch him, so he definitely wasn't comfortable in leaving his three-year-old son down there also. He glanced over at Sasuke and could easily see he wasn't liking the idea either.

"You can close the door if it makes you feel better." Kyosuke offered, probably sensing Aki wasn't going to leave.

No, that didn't make him feel any better. He would prefer if they both were in the room next to theirs, but there wasn't much he could do about that. Sasuke downright refused to let him sleep down there, saying he needed to get more _proper_ rest to gain his strength back. He tried to argue that he could easily sleep in one of the beds in the main area, but he was quickly quieted down by the glare that attempted to burn a hole through him. He knew when to pick his fights.

"It doesn't," Sasuke said, "but it will be safer for you two if we do. That way only the Veterans can gain access to you, and none of the recruits can."

Reasonable. It didn't mean he had to like the idea though.

He liked it even less once the door to the cell was closed and his sons were on one side while him and Sasuke were on the other. He couldn't shake that they were locking the two up like criminals. That feeling stayed with him even as Sasuke grabbed his arm and led him away toward their room.

"Stop sulking." Sasuke said when they were halfway down the hall and moving further away from the medical facility. "They'll safer that way."

He pouted harder – it wasn't like he didn't know that. But knowing it didn't change how he felt. Instead of lingering on the unsettling compression in his chest he focused on Sasuke, a mischievous grin appearing on his face. "So what are you gonna do to me once you have me all to yourself?"

Sasuke turned to him with a lifted eyebrow and a smirk, but otherwise remained silent as he faced forward once again and continued walking. He playfully glared at the side of the raven's head, which caused that infuriating sexy smirk to widen.

"Naruto!" a voice called from behind them.

Groaning internally, Naruto turned around to see Shikamaru coming towards them at a leisurely pace. Lazy bastard. . . For someone who called out to him you would think he would be quick about it. Then again, if that happened he couldn't be sure he wouldn't faint at the sight.

"I received a reply from the Hokage." Shikamaru said once he stood in front of them. "He would like to see you for himself. If a meeting could be arranged –"

"No." came Sasuke's immediate reply. He glanced at Sasuke and found him glaring death at Shikamaru, who seemed to not even have noticed. "Kakashi will just have to take your word for it."

There was a long moment where the two stared at each other, the Shikamaru said, "You know he didn't have anything to do with Aki being kidnapped."

"Then what else is being conspired behind his back?" Sasuke sneered. "How many of them will involve my family?"

He couldn't blame Sasuke for being suspicious. A member of the Konoha's council kidnapped Aki right behind the Hokage's back. And Kakashi thought Sasuke would be oh-so-thrilled about having another member of his family so close to the pillar of Konoha. His mail could be being monitored or he could be tailed. . . and if this was going through his mind, then one could only wonder what was going through Sasuke's.

"Enough." Naruto said while stepping in between the two. "We can talk about this later."

"There's nothing else to talk about." Sasuke said, still glaring at Shikamaru.

The brunette stared back evenly, then shrugged. "Whatever you say." He turned and headed back down the hallway, saying over his shoulder with a lazy hand wave, "I'll see you two later then."

Sasuke stalked off down their original path and he followed him silently, eying him out of the corner of his eye. "I'm not going to argue about this." Sasuke suddenly said.

"Okay." he said nonchalantly. "I wasn't in the mood to argue about it now anyway. We can argue about it later."

His eyes widened when Sasuke pivoted on the spot and directed his scowl at him. "What is there to argue about? I don't trust Kakashi at all. I don't want him anywhere near you."

He sighed happily. . . this was the everyday life of being in love with Uchiha Sasuke. The possessive, paranoid bastard. He never knew how much he would miss these kinds of moments until they were all gone. And through those three years where he could only watch, one of the things he missed the most was fighting with Sasuke. It was part of their dynamics. They could fight like nobody's business one second and be joking around the next. Many have wondered how they could stay together for so long, and the answer was easy – It was just their way.

A grin spread across his face, causing Sasuke's scowl to turn into one of confusion. "You do know it's hard to stay annoyed with you when you're grinning at me like an idiot."

His grin only widened as he leaned forward and kissed Sasuke's lips. "I love you, Sasuke. My Teme. . ."

Love shined in Sasuke's eyes as he stared at him without an ounce of the scowl he previously had. "I love you too, Naruto." He then grabbed his hand and began to lead him back to their room. "Now come on, dobe. It's time to get your energy back."

When he thought of getting his energy back he was expecting more along the lines of being put to bed, not being kissed the moment their room door was closed. He wasn't complaining though, his new body ached for Sasuke's touch. Down to the bone it ran, the need to be mark and claimed as only the man's before him. He didn't think Sasuke understood what it meant to have a new body. Everything was brand new. Everything.

Permission wasn't needed when Sasuke's tongue delved into mouth and reacquainted itself with his own. Before it got too heated, not that his blood wasn't already boiling with desire with just that kiss, he pressed his hand against Sasuke's chest and separated them a few inches. That was enough. He didn't think he could pry the rest of his body away from Sasuke's anyway. "Hold on second, Sasuke." His voice coming out breathy. "I need to tell you something."

"Oh. . ." he breathed out as he leaned down to kiss his neck. "Is that so."

"Hmhmm. . ." he practically moaned out, getting himself distracted by the feel of Sasuke's mouth. "I. . . I. . . I'm a virgin."

Sasuke pulled back and stared at him with a look of perplexity. "A virgin?"

The tone of absurdity was enough to bring some sense back to his brain. "Well no, not me, me." Because he hasn't been a virgin since he was thirteen. "But my body is. All brand new and shiny, and just waiting to be claimed." He grinned sensually when he saw the comprehension in Sasuke's eyes before those beautiful orbs were taken over by intense lust. "Sooo. . . are you up for the task of taking my virginity for the second time?"

He barely had time to finish his sentence before those wonderful lips were back on him, practically devouring him, as he was being maneuvered backward toward the bed. Even expecting it, he yelped when the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed and he fell on it. He leaned up on his elbows and watched Sasuke as he attempted to take his arm protectors off. His hand was shaking and fumbling with the buckles, both actions causing a scowl to form on the raven's face.

A chuckle reached Sasuke's ears as he cursed his damn arm protectors to a fiery death. He glanced up to the cause of the desire scorching through his veins and the breath caught in his throat when Naruto pulled his shirt off and scooted himself closer to him with a look of such sexuality. His cock pulsed with that look and hardened impossibly further with the feel of the blond's erection pressing into his thigh.

Naruto grabbed his wrist and guided his arm to him, taking the arm protector off with ease. As he went on to the next one, Sasuke scanned down the bare chest that looked the same as he remembered it. But it wasn't the same. . . It was a new body with identical features. That was fine though, Naruto was Naruto. This was his second?. . . third?. . . fourth?. . . chance, and this new body gave him a perfectly healthy Naruto. There was no way he was going to complain.

Now he had the opportunity to take what most people could only take once. Although it was hard to think of Naruto as a virgin, especially with their years of sexual activities, his skin still burnt hot at the thought of taking Naruto's virginity again.

Once his other arm protector was off and discarded to the floor Naruto slid his hand beneath his shirt and up along his chest, causing his shirt to rise. His stomach quivered at his touch and spasmed when Naruto leaned in to swipe his tongue across the bare skin. He groaned, running his hand through golden locks to urge him on.

Those hands rose higher, and he took the hint by taking his shirt off, before they lowered again to the waistband of his pants. Naruto looked up at him then, keeping that eye contact as he began to unbuckle his pants and spread them wide open. His body shivered and he gulped at the intent there. He held no will power to not come the second he placed his mouth around him. He'll be damn lucky not to come in the process of entering him.

He halted the hands that were just about to pull his cock out and took a step back out of Naruto's reach with a smirk. Then he began to pull his pants and briefs down to leave him completely naked. Naruto's eyes darkened to almost black as he stared at him with a hunger that always sent a thrill through him. That hunger was only for him. Wanting him. . . Needing him. . .

As he approached the bed Naruto unbuttoned his pants and laid back on the bed with his legs raised in the air, wriggling his feet. He grabbed the material at the back of his thighs and gave a hard yank, lifting the blond off the bed by the force while freeing his pants and boxers from underneath him. Both articles of clothing came off easily after that, leaving him completely naked with both legs spread wide open.

He licked his lips at the gorgeous view he was receiving of the hard muscles and erect cock surrounded by course hairs. Beautiful. . . He crawled slowly up the blond's body, taking a taste of him here and there as he went. Once he reached those delectable lips he licked along the bottom one before plunging in at the same time as his hips moved forward, pressing their groins together.

Naruto moaned and arched off the bed as his hands moved to his ass to press him closer. He rolled his hips in reaction, causing his own groan to rumbled in his chest. He gave one more roll before he forced himself to stop, causing a whine to come from Naruto. He smirked and was just about to get up to grab some lube when he remembered he didn't have any.

How ironic was that?

His head fell to the blond's shoulder, resulting in his lover saying huskily, "Sasuke?"

"I don't have any lube."

Naruto laughed, probably seeing the similarities as he did. "Well, that didn't stop us the first time." he said with a sensual smile. "I guess we're just gonna have to make saliva work again."

Sasuke kissed up the slender neck until he hovered over above Naruto with a smirk. "Then you might want to start working on slicking up these fingers." he said while bringing his hand up and offering three fingers to the blond's mouth.

The grin that spread across Naruto's face was pure wickedness as his tongue poked out and erotically slid along his fingers without those piercing eyes looking away from his. A shiver went through his body and his cock twitched when Naruto took all three fingers into his mouth and began to work them like he would his cock.

When he couldn't take anymore he pulled his fingers out of that skillful mouth and replaced them with his own, devouring him, as he maneuvered his hand down to Naruto's entrance. He pressed one digit in, which had Naruto breathing in harshly through his nose, and gently began to stretch him. His other two fingers soon followed that had the blond tensing.

"Fuck. . ." Naruto groaned out. "I for-forgot how much this hurt."

Sasuke snorted, "Your memory has always been poor."

He got smacked on the arm for that. "Don't a-act so high and mighty, it's not l-like you haven't forgotten what sex felt like too."

"Careful, dobe. I believe I'm the one who has my fingers up _your_ ass." And just to emphasize his point he pushed his fingers in a little bit harder. Naruto gasped and arched off the bed, moaning out the pleasure he just caused. "Enjoy that?"

Naruto moaned softly, apparently unable to form words, and pushed himself down on his fingers once more before extracting them. He was pushed back roughly until he was on his butt, and before he could open his mouth to protest Naruto had his cock in his mouth. A moan of surprised pleasure ripped from his throat at the feel of the blond's scorching mouth around him, sending him skyrocketing toward his orgasm.

He couldn't even warn Naruto as he came hard down his throat, his hand gripping his blond strands and his vision whitening out. Lips met his a moment later, the taste of himself on the tongue that entered his mouth. He responded eagerly only because of instincts, since his mind was still hazy. Yet, he could still feel Naruto straddle his hips and position his still hard cock at his entrance.

Gripping his hips, he said in a husky voice, "Someone's eager."

"I want you inside." Naruto practically moaned out, pushing down and resulting in an inch of cock to pass through his ring of muscles. "Need you inside."

His grip on the blond's hips tightened to bruising, willing himself not to thrust upward to sheath himself completely in the tight heat in one go. That previous orgasm was a very good idea, now that he thought about it, it definitely took the edge off. Especially when Naruto began to leisurely slide himself down until his cock was fully inside him.

His breath stuttered, both their bodies shaking and slick with sweat, as he pressed his forehead against the crook of Naruto's shoulder to keep himself from moving. He didn't have to worry about that though, since Naruto seemed more than willing to move on his own. Slowly he lifted himself up with his knees and they both moaned when he lowered himself back down. The motion was repeated over and over as their mouths joined again passionately.

Picking Naruto up, he rolled them over until Naruto was lying on his back and he was above him. He resumed their rhythm while at the same time trying to regain some focus.

There was an ulterior motive to starting this sort of activity.

He focused his chakra at where they physically connected, and when he thrust in he also pushed chakra through their connection to transfer to Naruto. The latter gasped, "Sasuke!" His eyes wide and staring at him in questioned.

"Shh. . ." He kissed along his jaw. "Just take it."

Naruto needed chakra. And no matter what the other thought he would say to dissuade him he would give him all he needed.

He learned to transfer chakra through sexual intercourse without the help from Kyuubi immediately after they left Konoha. Not an easy technique to execute during the height of sex. But when ones determined it can be almost easy. That wasn't the case at the moment.

It was hard to keep his focus when he had Naruto – after three years and very much alive – underneath him and making so many sounds that it was driving him insane. He hissed when Naruto's hand ran across his injured shoulder blade, and stopped whatever concerns Naruto may have had with his mouth. That hand ran down the rest of his back, resting on his ass and giving a globe a firm squeeze before using that hold to get him to go deeper.

Maneuvering one of the blond's legs higher, he obliged happily, going deeper and harder than before. Naruto threw his head back and voiced out his pleasure. It was music to his ears.

With the change of position and the extra stimulation from the transferring chakra it didn't take long for Naruto's orgasm to hit, causing his channel to tighten almost painfully around him. He quickly followed the blond, riding through his second orgasm that night.

Old instincts had him being careful not to collapse on top of Naruto, instead he shifted his sated body to where he would hit the bed. His dobe curled up next to his body almost instantly, reminding him that Naruto wasn't sick anymore. He was perfectly healthy. He didn't have to be careful with him anymore.

"We're gonna stick." came the groggy voice of his lover right next to his ear.

It didn't seem to deter the other though as he wrapped himself around him like a pretzel with his face nuzzled against his neck. The hot breath shallowed out quickly, indicating Naruto had fallen asleep. He wasn't surprised, Naruto's been exhausting himself since he's been back. Pushing himself far too much with the level of chakra he was at.

Activating his Sharingan, he smiled when he checked Naruto's chakra levels. Even with his focus severely lacking he was still able to boost his levels to normal. Not Naruto normal, but normal for an average shinobi.

He ran his hand through blond strands, receiving a hum of contentment from the owner, and kissed his forehead before letting himself relax under the pleasant weight of his lover. It's been far too long since he could enjoy just a moment.

Far too long since he's felt like he was home.


End file.
